Way of the Samurai: The Danger Rises
by Lily Hanson
Summary: Follows The Battle Continues and the stories between- The Nighlok are getting stronger. The Rangers don't just need to keep up with the enemy's growing power, they need to keep one step ahead. Can they stop the Nighlok, or will the River flood the Earth?
1. Pools of Water

_Disclaimer: I do not own Power Rangers: SUPER Samurai._

_Author's Note: Well, with the new season here it's time to start a new Way of the Samurai. I hope you all enjoy!_

-Super-Samurai-

Antonio held the Black Box in his hand. He couldn't understand why it was taking so long to program.

All the symbols were in; all the Zords were in; all the Stones were in … There was nothing missing. The Black Box wasn't asking for anything more.

And yet it still wouldn't work.

Antonio flipped opened his Samurai Morpher and connected it to the Black Box. He looked at the screen which read _80% to completion_. With a groan, he tucked his Samurai Morpher and the Black Box away. Until it was completely, there was no need to have it out.

Suddenly there was a knock at his door. He looked up curiously when he saw it was Jayden.

"What's up?"

Jayden started to play nervously with his hands, "Can I ask you a big favour?"

"Sure, amigo."

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way…"

"Jay, just tell me."

Jayden looked up, "Mike's taking Emily out for the afternoon on a trial date. Ji and Serena are taking Terran out for a walk now that the weather's nice and Mia and Kevin are training in the dojo, then they're going to watch a movie."

"And…"

"I was wondering if we could do something… you know… couple-like…"

Antonio looked to Jayden quizzically. He didn't understand at all. For now Jayden had decided to consider himself bisexual, which meant he did have an attraction to men, but he was also attracted to women. Amanda meant a lot to Jayden and he wasn't ready to lose her, so for Jayden to be asking Antonio out came as a big surprise.

"Like a date?"

"No… well…" Jayden looked to his shoes, "A trial date. If it's too weird for you just say so. I don't want to give you the wrong idea. I just… I want to test something and… you're the only guy I trust."

"Guy?" Antonio asked and then quickly caught on, "Oh, like when I had you play house with Kevin."

"Yeah," Jayden nodded. He looked up at Antonio, "Look, if it's too weird because of, you know…"

"No, no," Antonio shook his head, "I mean, it's a little weird, but it'll be just like us hanging out," Antonio smiled brightly, "What do you want to do? Where do you want to go?"

"There's a movie playing. It's supposed to be pretty funny…"

"Just lead me to it," Antonio said as he started to grab his things. As he walked by Jayden, the red Ranger grabbed his arm.

"I'm serious, Antonio. This is just one friend helping another. I don't want to cheat on Amanda."

"Technically you two are broken up," Antonio reminded him, "but don't worry, Jay. I get it. I get what you're asking. It's cool."

"Really?"

"Yeah," Antonio nodded his head, "Besides, the guy who sells tickets is kind of cute, and I think he's gay."

Jayden chuckled, "Flirt all you want," he gave Antonio a pat on the back, "You can even pay for my ticket so you can spent a little more time with the cute ticket boy."

"Deal," Antonio smirked.

-Samurai-

Mike placed his skateboard on the ground and looked across the park at Emily. The snow was melting away little by little and the pavement was dry enough from the sun for a day of skateboarding. Mike remembered trying to teach Emily in the past, and he remembered that up until the very end, she had done a good job.

After calling off the engagement, everything about his relationship with Emily had changed. Aside from the fact that he knew her better than anyone else, even Serena at times, he felt like he was right back in the starting stages. Like they were still just learning how the relationship would work. Mike knew that if she was going to take Emily out on a date, it couldn't be anything big. Just a simple day in the park.

Serena and Mentor were walking around the park as well with Terran in his stroller. Serena trusted Mike, but she wouldn't keep her eyes off him for too long. It made the date a little more awkward than it needed to be, but Mike was willing to be patient. He would wait, no matter how long it took.

He held up the helmet for Emily to take, "I'll hold your hand the entire way," he told her with a smile.

Emily shook her head. She was already dressed with elbow pads and knee pads, "No way. You remember what happened last time."

"You rocked it, Em," Mike smiled, "Put on the helmet. I won't let you fall."

Mike held the helmet out a little closer to Emily and she sighed as she took it and strapped it on tight.

"If this stupid plan of yours knocks me into a coma, tell Terran to never ever listen to you, okay."

"I'll just confuse the poor kid if I tell him to never listen to me," Mike chuckled. He tapped on the helmet on Emily's head and made sure it was secure. He didn't want to hurt her. Her bruises were almost completely gone; he didn't want to bring them back.

A little ways off, Serena and Mentor had stopped their walk and took a seat on the park bench. They watched as Mike helped Emily get both her feet up onto the plank on wheels. Serena seemed a little nervous.

"He is trying to kill her, isn't he?" she winced when she saw Emily almost slip off, but Mike was quick to catch her. Mentor chuckled softly.

"I hope this works out for them," he said. "It's a shame to see them have to go back."

Serena nodded then looked to Ji, "You didn't take away Mike's stuff. He attacked Emily, but you didn't punish him."

"I figured he was being punished enough," Mentor shrugged his shoulders, "Love doesn't escape me. As long as he has Emily around, nothing else seems to matter to Mike. I could have taken away his video games, his movies, his furniture, everything. He would never have noticed."

"He did take the break up pretty hard," Serena nodded her head. She looked back at Mike, "He's handling this really well, but I guess he is being punished."

Ji smirked and gently nudged Serena, "A wise mother and sister once told me I needed to fit the punishment to the crime _and_ the person."

"I told you that," Serena smirked. She nodded her head, "Okay, I get it."

"So," Ji said in a tone that indicated he wanted to change topics, "I've noticed you haven't got back to school since your argument with James."

Serena shrugged her shoulders sadly, "It's complicated, Mentor."

"Love is never easy."

"I don't want him to get hurt."

"Being separated didn't stop Amanda from getting hurt."

"You heard what he said about Terran, right?"

"I have. I've also seen all the flowers he's sent, all the cards he's left on our door. Do I have to remind you the drive up to our house is not a quick drive down the block? Every day he seems to go out of his way to try and win you back."

Serena nodded her head, "He'll probably give up soon."

"He said some pretty nasty things, but he did seem to be quite the gentleman every other time we've met."

"He was pretty great," Serena nodded, "I'll think about…"

"Guys!" Serena heard Emily scream and her attention quickly shifted to the other side of the park. She saw Mike and Emily were squatting down on the ground and were looking at something in the dirt. Panic started to bubble in Serena's stomach. She turned to Mentor. He nodded and placed his hand on the handle of the stroller.

"I will keep an eye on him. You go check it out."

"Take him home," Serena said, "And get the others."

Mentor got up and did as he was told while Serena rushed over to Mike and Emily. Her fears were confirmed when she saw a pool of red water in the dirt. She pulled Emily away.

"It's Sanzu Water."

"Here too?" Emily asked.

Mike shook his head and stood up, "If it's seeping through here and at the school…"

"It's got to be coming out in other locations as well," Serena sighed. She pulled out her Samuraizer, "We can at least cover it up so no one gets hurt by it."

She traced a symbol and the ground began to move slightly. The earth under the puddle opened up, pulling the water deeper down.

Emily traced her own symbol and covered up Serena's hole with fresh dirt and stones. Within minutes the pool was covered.

Mike looked around the park to see if anyone had noticed. Fortunately no one had. He then stepped on the new dirt to make sure it was safe to walk on.

"We should head back to the Shiba House. Maybe the map can tell us where other pools are."

The girls nodded, "Good idea."

-Samurai-

Jayden was sitting in the theater with Antonio right next to him. He was starting to regret running with this idea. He had a lot of confusing thoughts in his head about his preferences and had been hoping and afternoon out on a pretend date would help.

But he had watched Antonio flirt with the ticket salesman and he started to feel jealous. He didn't like it; none of it. He didn't like how Antonio was flirting and he didn't like that he was jealous. He had Amanda and he loved her more than he thought imaginable.

He sunk down in his seat and pouted. He wished he could get in contact with Amanda to talk to her. He wished he could ask her if it was okay for him to experiment. Antonio kept reminding him that he and Amanda were broken-up, which was technically true, but Jayden didn't feel that way.

He wanted real answers. He wanted an end. Was he straight? Definitely not. Was he gay? Not exclusively. He was bisexual and he had the ability to love both men and woman. And he did love one man and one woman. Unfortunately, he couldn't love them both. Not the way they deserved to be loved.

"_So kiss me,"_ the leading character on the screen said to her ex-husband… at least, that's what Jayden thought. He hadn't really been following the movie.

"_What?"_

"_If we're really over kiss me. It's not like it'll mean anything, right."_

Jayden glanced sideways over to Antonio. This was something he never wanted to do, but a kiss meant a lot. He hoped that, with a kiss, he could reassure himself that his heart did belong to Amanda, regardless of his sexuality. But just as he was about to do so, his Samuraizer beeped.

"Shh!" the older lady behind him whispered as Jayden grabbed his Samuraizer and tugged on Antonio's arm.

"Sorry," he whispered and led Antonio out of the theater. In the lobby, he put the Samuraizer to his ear, "This better be important."


	2. Octoroo's Seals

The Samurai, Serena, and Ji were all gathered around the map and checking out every bit of activity they could pick up on. The had to turn up the Gap Sensor's sensitivity, and with Terran in the house the Sensor blared loudly, but they were picking up on signals they had never seen before.

Mentor muted the Sensor so Terran could settle.

Serena pointed to a signal on the map, "That's the pool of water I found at the school."

Mike pointed to another signal, "That's the one in the park."

"Look," Mia said and zoomed in on the park, "there are three other signals in this location alone."

Kevin returned the map to its original size, "Alright, I think it's safe to say that all of these signals are Sanzu Water."

"And it's seeping through?" Emily asked worriedly. She looked to Jayden. He sighed loudly.

"This isn't good. If the water's coming though, and there's this much, the Nighlok won't need to head back to the Sanzu River to rehydrate."

"They can do it here," Mia said, "They never have to leave the human world."

Jayden nodded his head, "Unless we can cover up each and every source. There's nothing we can do to stop the river from seeping through, but we can prevent the Nighlok from getting access to it," he turned his focus to Serena and Emily, "Do you two think you can do that?"

"Just us?" Emily asked.

"The earth and stones are the only thing that can survive the Sanzu Water."

"We can try," Serena said as she looked down at the map. There were a lot of signals. Even with Emily's help that was going to require a lot of symbol power, "but it might take some time. We have no idea how big some of these pools are. Or how deep they are."

"Or how many are in one location," Mike pointed out with a shake of his head.

"Wait," Mia knelt down and examined the map a little closer. With so many signals, it was easy to assume they were all Sanzu Water, but one signal seemed to be moving, "unless that's a river…"

"Nighlok," Kevin frowned.

Jayden looked to Antonio, "How far along is the Black Box?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulders, "Before we left it was at eighty. It might be a while still."

"See if you can find a way to speed it up," Jayden instructed. "With this much water and a Nighlok on the loose, we're going to need all the help we can get."

"Be careful, Rangers," Ji called as the five Samurai ran for the door.

-Samurai-

When the Rangers arrived in a residential part of the city, they saw people running in terror. Jayden searched around for the Nighlok, but given the people were running towards the Rangers, he knew they were going to run into him eventually.

Kevin had a look around the city for any trapped or injured civilians but his eyes quickly fell on the curb of the road where red water was traveling down the street, indicating a puddle of Sanzu water was near and it was spreading.

He grabbed Mike's arm, "Not good."

The green Ranger turned to where Kevin was looking and noticed the water as well. He looked worriedly at his best friend.

"There!" the boys heard Emily call and they saw her pointing down the street. The Nighlok was turning the corner and flailing his arms around wildly. Kevin squinted his eyes.

"He looks familiar."

"He's the spider-faced freak!" Mike said, "Dude, he's finally come back."

"Yeah, I don't think that's a good thing, Mike," Mia shook her head and pulled out her Samuraizer. The others were quick to follow her lead and morphed as the Nighlok approached them.

Arachnitor saw the Rangers and he was filled with unexplainable rage. He charged at them, swinging his arms like a maniac and shooting out his tentacles. The Rangers swung their swords, but he was so angry, so consumed with rage, that he couldn't feel their attacked. He gargled and cried out as one by one he knocked the Rangers down. He watched them wither around in pain and suddenly the game wasn't fun anymore. Without any notice, and without much reason, he turned around and disappeared from their sight.

Mike clutched his ribs tightly. He wasn't badly injured, but he couldn't help but feel a little scared. Arachnitor was only still around because he and the others had been unable to defeat him. He had been strong in his first form, and then mutated into something stronger. While Mike was sure he and the others had grown more powerful during the months of Arachnitor's absence, they still seemed to be no match for the spider Nighlok.

Then he felt someone grab his arm gently and he was helped to his feet. He looked up and saw Emily had powered down and was smiling at him.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

He nodded his head, "Yeah," he powered down and looked to the other Rangers, "This sucks. Something tells me he's just going to keep running off."

"Why not?" Kevin asked, "If the Sanzu Water's coming through, that means the river's rising. If he keeps attacking, people are going to keep getting scared and hurt."

"The river's just going to keep rising," Emily sighed, "And if he keeps running away, we can't destroy him."

"We'll have to trap him," Jayden stated, "We'll need to corner him and take him by surprise."

"Dude, he's insanely powerful," Mike reminded Jayden, "Honestly, even on my better days it takes me longer to knock down a dummy than it took that Nighlok to knock all five of us down."

"That's not saying much," Kevin teased and Mike shoved his friends and rolled his eyes.

"We'll have to figure out where he's going," Jayden said and he pulled out his Samuraizer, "Mentor…"

"There's one signal, stronger than the others," Mentor answered. "It's coming from an old construction site."

Mia looked to Jayden, "He won't have to go back to the Netherworld to rehydrate, but he will need to rehydrate."

"Hopefully he goes there," Jayden said and with a nod he rushed off. The four others were right behind him.

-Samurai-

"Take it easy, Antonio," Serena coached as Antonio tried to connect the Samurai Morpher to the Black box. He hoped he could use some of his energy to power up the Box and it would program faster. Serena was standing by just in case Antonio needed her assistance.

Antonio focused on the Black Box. All the pain, all the hard work, all the trouble it had caused couldn't be for nothing. If he didn't get the Box working soon, his friends would be in real danger.

"I have to give it everything I've got," he said as the beam between his morpher and the Box broke and he doubled over, placing his hands on his knees. "After all this, we're only at eighty-two."

Serena sighed, "If you give it everything you've got and it doesn't work, we'll have no Black Box and no Gold Ranger."

"If I keep trying we'll get the same result," Antonio shrugged, "This is draining."

Serena nodded her head, "Alright, but be careful."

Antonio nodded. He took a few deep breaths and stared at the Black Box, "C'mon…"

-Samurai-

The Rangers arrived at the construction site and were horrified by what they saw. The location was flooded with puddles and deep pools of red Water. Every step they took was dangerous. If they missed a step or slipped even once, the Sanzu River would seep into their skin and they would be poisoned.

Mike stuck close to Emily; out of everyone she was most likely to slip. He didn't want her to fall.

"Be very careful," Jayden said as he led the way to a large pool of Sanzu Water, "This water looks pretty dangerous."

He stopped in front of the large pool and knelt down. It certainly seemed deep enough for the Nighlok to bathe and quickly hydrate. Jayden hoped the Nighlok would turn up here soon. The Samurai weren't yet strong enough to defeat him, but they could take the advantage by surprising him.

"So what do we do?" Mia asked and Jayden started explaining the plan.

A little ways off, hiding behind a thick pillar, Octoroo watched the Rangers with a smile on his face. Arachnitor was running amuck and doing his own thing and while neither Xandred nor Octoroo could control the beast, he was helping quite a bit. Arachnitor was wearing the Rangers down. He had them worried and they wanted to quickly finish him off so they could take care of the Sanzu Water seeping into their world.

But Octoroo had worked hard to get this far. Very hard. He wasn't about to let the Rangers cover up his precious pools.

He pulled out two seals and placed them on two different pillars. If he was right, the Rangers would walk between the seals and their Samuraizers would be rendered useless. Without the Samuraizers, not only would they not be able to morph, but they also wouldn't be able to use their symbols.

Using the seals now gave the Nighlok another advantage. The seals, like the Nighlok, were powered by the Sanzu River. Now that there was a flood of water in the human world, the seals would be much, much stronger. It would strip the Rangers of their powers and Octoroo hoped it would also hurt them so they could be finished off quickly.

Then, before he was spotted, he disappeared into a Gap. Arachnitor, while wild, could finish the Rangers off himself.

Jayden finished off with his plan when a sound caught his ears. He looked around at the others and it seemed they heard it too. He looked to them and signalled for them to follow his lead. As they left the pool, they had no idea they crossed the seals Octoroo had put in place.

-Samurai-

"Antonio!" Serena cried as the gold Ranger fell forward, breaking the connection between his morpher and the Black Box. She caught him just before he hit the ground and laid him gently on his back. "Antonio, wake up."

She gently shook him but to no avail. He was completely drained and the Black Box still wasn't programmed. She flipped open her own Samuraizer and drew a symbol to analyse the Box.

"Interrupted," she read. For some reason the programming had stopped completely.

-Samurai-

"Look, down there," Kevin pointed and the Rangers all spotted Arachnitor in a deep pool of Sanzu Water. He was bathing in it and splashing around, taking advantage of the strength it gave him. The Rangers lowered themselves to the ground so they weren't seen and hid behind a fallen cement block.

"Alright, so he's here," Mike said, "We're just got to find a way to surround him before he runs off."

Mia looked down. She and the Rangers were surrounded by small puddles, and the water seemed to be boiling. Bubbles would rise to the surface and pop. The last thing she wanted was to come in contact with the water. It was no wonder Serena had suffered so much when she had been pregnant with Terran.

Suddenly, one of the bubbles, bigger than most, popped, spraying little drops of water right at Mia. Fortunately she was fast enough to jump out of the way, but she also let out a shriek.

"Dammit," Mike muttered when he heard her scream and then he saw Arachnitor turning around. Jayden jumped out of his hiding spot. Their cover was blown; they were going to have to fight.

"Samuraizer!" he called and the others followed his lead, "Go, go Samurai!"

They traced their respective symbols in the air but nothing happened. They looked to each other.

"We're not morphed," Kevin said.

Arachnitor gargled and grunted. His skin had soaked up the water and he was ready to fight. He held his hands up and his tentacles shot out at Mike and Jayden. With no way to defend themselves, Mike and Jayden were quickly grabbed and lifted off their feet.

Kevin hurriedly tried to summon his Spin Sword with his Samuraizer but it wouldn't work. The symbol would come up, but nothing would happen.

"What?"

"Run!" Jayden yelled before he was suddenly thrown through the air. Kevin, Mia, and Emily all gasped. With so many puddles, Jayden was sure to land in one and he was sure to be poisoned.

Mia couldn't let that happen. The Samuraizers weren't working, she had figured that out, but she had also figured out she didn't need them. It was risky, especially with her lack of experience, but she had no other option. She traced a symbol with her finger.

The wind suddenly picked up and Jayden felt his fall slowing down. Mia had grabbed him with her powers. She straightened him up in the air and slowly set him down on safe ground on his feet.

The Nighlok saw this and it seemed to frustrate him. He tossed Mike through the air, hoping to hurt the green Ranger, but Mia did the same thing. She caught him and set him down safely and gently.

Arachnitor glared at the Rangers, feeling a burning rage bubbling inside of him. He charged at the Rangers and swung his arms around wildly. The Rangers had nothing to defend themselves with. The Samuraizers weren't working so they couldn't trace their symbols.

Mike didn't want to back down, though. He went after the Nighlok. He didn't need weapons to fight. He had his fists, but it didn't take long before the Nighlok swung a free tentacle around and struck Mike in the chest. The green Ranger went flying backwards in the air and hit the ground. He slid for a moment before finally stopping, only inches before a pool of water.

"Mike!" Emily screamed and turned to the Nighlok with a harsh glare and she realised that if Mia could use her symbol power, so could she. She traced earthquake and launched the symbol under the Nighlok's feet. The ground began to shake, knocking him off balance. He fell into a puddle of water and tried to get up, but Emily kept the ground moving.

Kevin gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Good job Em, keep it up," he instructed her and then he traced his own symbol. The Nighlok was suddenly showered with water and he screamed in pain. When Kevin's water ceased, Arachnitor turned and ran.

Kevin sunk to his knees. He loved his extra power, but it was always so draining and only to be used in emergencies. Suddenly, he felt a powerful headache coming on. This had never happened before. He clutched his head and moaned in pain as Jayden came over to check up on him.

"Are you okay?" Jayden asked when he saw a pained look on Kevin's face. Kevin shook his head but quickly stopped. The movement hurt.

Jayden glanced over at Emily, who had fallen to her knees like Kevin and was being looked after by Mike. Then he turned to Mia. He gave Kevin a pat on the back, unaware of how painful it was for the Blue Ranger. Jayden got up and hurried over to Mia. She too was holding head.

"Mia, what's wrong?" he asked. She didn't answer him. He tried to pull her up to her feet but the moment she was up, she collapsed back down and groaned loudly in pain. Jayden grabbed her by the arms and he knelt in front of her, "Mia! Mia, say something."

Jayden was getting nowhere with Mia, and Mike wasn't doing any better with Emily. She had been somewhat responsive at first, but now she seemed to be completely gone. Mike saw the pain on her face as she looked up. She seemed extremely distant and lost in thought.

But, just out of curiosity, he looked over his shoulder and followed her gaze. He was sure she wasn't staring at anything, but he didn't want to take that risk.

He saw something small attached to a pillar. He gently set Emily down and hurried over to it, calling for Jayden to follow him.

Mike stopped in front of the pillar and noticed what seemed to be something belonging to the Nighlok.

"A seal," Jayden told him as he approached the green Ranger, "Xandred must have gotten someone to plant it.

Mike stared at the seal. There was writing but it was in Japanese, a language he couldn't read. He looked over his shoulder at Jayden and saw the red Ranger seemed furious.

"What?"

"It took the power from our Samuraizers," Jayden said. "All our symbols, all our weapons, our Rangers suits… we can't access it."

"Nothing?" Mike asked. Jayden shook his head.

"Unless you can do what they did," Jayden pointed over to Mia, Kevin, and Emily.

"They don't need the Samuraizer."

"But the seal can still hurt them," Jayden said. He grabbed the seal and tried to rip it off the pillar, hoping he could destroy it, but it was stuck on. It wouldn't be moved.

Mike shoved Jayden out of the way, "Let me try."

He pulled and tugged, and even used his feet as leverage against the pillar, but nothing worked. The seal couldn't be broken.

When he finally gave up he turned to Jayden, "What does this mean for them?"

Jayden shrugged and turned to his three friends on the ground, "We get them home and figure something else out."

Mike cracked his knuckled and groaned, "Puddles of water, stronger Nighlok, no Black Box, and now this?"

"We'll have to think of something," Jayden said.

Mike walked over to Emily and picked her up. Jayden walked to Kevin and pulled the blue Ranger to his feet. At this point, Kevin was barely conscious. He was a load of dead weight, and Jayden, admittedly, was tired from his fight with Arachnitor. He wasn't sure he could make it all the way home, but close enough to get help from Mentor. He turned around to see if Mike was ready but saw Mia still on the ground. He realised there was a problem. He and Mike couldn't get all three of them home, and they didn't seem able to move at all.

"We can't stay here," Mike pointed out.

"Can I help?"

Mike and Jayden turned as a new voice reached their ears. They saw James climbing over a cement block.

"What are you doing here?" Jayden asked. "It's dangerous."

"The school's flooded with this red water," James explained as he tip-toed around the puddles until he reached Mia. He lifted her up, "Classes are all cancelled."

"So why come here?" Mike asked.

"I thought you guys should know."

"We do know," Jayden said. "Thanks, but…"

"I know I was a bit… I was an ass, but I want to help. I want to understand."

"This is too dangerous," Jayden shook his head, "Go home and stay away from the water and the Nighlok."

"Just let Serena kick me out, please," James begged. "I'll help you get these guys home and if Serena wants me gone I'll leave. But I want a chance to talk to her."

Jayden sighed. He turned to Mike. The green Ranger shrugged his shoulders then heard Emily moan in pain.

"We have to get them home."

The red Ranger nodded his head, "Alright, James, you can come. But the minute Serena asks you to leave…"

"I'm gone," James said, "Thank you."


	3. Bed Rest

As he sat by Antonio's bedside, another wave of guilt washed over Jayden. As unrealistic as he knew it was, he should have been able to figure out the Nighlok had another trick up their sleeve. He should have known the Samuraizers wouldn't work, and that Mia, Kevin, and Emily using their powers would drain them completely.

He also shouldn't have left Antonio to work on the Black Box. Not without everyone else around him. The Gold Ranger had worn himself out trying to program the Box. He was down and out and had nothing to show for it.

Jayden clutched the Black Box in his hand. He no longer felt connected to his symbol because of the seal Octoroo had put up and as a result, the Black Box wouldn't program. The symbols were useless without their Rangers, and if the Rangers didn't have access to the symbols, the symbols had no access to them.

Antonio laid in bed, out cold. Mentor promised he was just resting after using up so much energy and he would be fine, but Jayden couldn't bear it any longer. He got up from the chair and paced around the room.

The hardest part about all this was there was nothing he could do. Even if he could master his symbol without the Samuraizer, that wouldn't accomplish anything. He would use just one symbol and he would wind up in bed, just like the others.

He grabbed his hair in frustration when suddenly he heard a deep breath. He turned around and saw Antonio was just waking up. He took a seat by his bed and took Antonio's hand. The gold Ranger pulled his hand away.

"Now it's a little weird," he chuckled. "How long have you been there?"

"Since I got home," Jayden said, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I could sleep for years," Antonio nestled into his pillows, "but something tells me I shouldn't. Is everything okay?"

Jayden shook his head and explained what happened in the battle, as well as what Serena told him happened to Antonio. Antonio just looked at Jayden, unsure of what to say. Suddenly he sat up in bed.

"We need the Black Box."

Jayden pushed him back down, "There's no way you're working on it. You're still exhausted."

"But that just leaves you and Mike," Antonio shook his head, "And neither of you can morph! Whatever's inside that box, we'll need it."

"No," Jayden answered sternly, "We wouldn't be able to access it anyways…"

"My Samurai Morpher still works. I didn't go near the seal."

"Antonio, no," Jayden stood up, "Arachnitor hasn't come back yet and when he does, we'll need all the help we can get, and we won't get it if you're running yourself ragged."

Jayden walked over to the desk and grabbed Antonio's laptop. He set it down on the bed, "You can watch a movie while you rest. It'll take your mind off, well, everything."

"But, Jay…"

"Just… take care, Antonio," Jayden touched Antonio's leg over the blankets. His hand lingered longer than it needed, "I'll be back in a few minutes, after I've checked up on the others. Our movie outing was interrupted."

Antonio sighed and watched Jayden leave with a shake of his head, but figured at least the red Ranger would be resting with him. He was worried Jayden would fell like this was his fault and he needed to work himself to the bone. He couldn't do that if he watched a movie.

-Samurai-

Serena set the glass of water down by her bed as Emily drifted back off to sleep. Fortunately she wasn't badly hurt and now that she was away from the seal she was feeling better, but she was tired, more tired than Serena had ever seen her.

James was sitting on the other side of the room, out of Emily's sight, and he had been silent while Serena checked up on her sister. Now that Emily was asleep, though, he was hoping he could talk to Serena.

He stood up but Serena just made a beeline to the door. He ran and slammed the door shut before she could get out.

"Please let me talk."

Serena rolled her eyes, "I appreciate the flowers and the apologies and everything," Serena said, "But you've said enough."

"Fine, then I won't talk," James said and he tried to pull Serena in for a kiss. She pushed him away and glared hatefully.

"You called my son a monster bastard!"

"I know. I'm sorry. I had no idea what I was talking about."

"You called me a monster fucker."

"I'm really sorry…"

"Do you think it was easy hiding this from you? Do you think it was easy downplaying what happened to me so you wouldn't have to know I was a Samurai? So you wouldn't be in danger?"

"Downplaying?" James asked.

Serena nodded her head, "You remember when I told you Mike and Emily were mugged? That was a lie."

"They were hurt in a fight, weren't they?"

"They, as well as Jayden, Kevin, and Antonio, were kidnapped by a Nighlok. They were beaten and tortured and barely made it out alive. And remember when I told you Terran was born early?"

"He wasn't?"

"Oh, no; he was," Serena nodded her head, "but that same Nighlok that beat up my sister and my friends, he kidnapped me first. Actually, he kidnapped me and Mia. He beat her up pretty bad but he set her free. She was the lucky one."

James gulped, "What did he do to you?"

"That Sanzu Water," Serena said, "it makes the Nighlok, like my son, stronger. Takeshi, the Nighlok who kidnapped me, found out I was pregnant and realised he could raise a Nighlok who could control the powers of the Earth Samurai. He couldn't wait until I was ready to deliver, so he showered me in Sanzu Water. He let it poison me and feed Terran. Mike and Emily came to rescue me but when they got to me I was already starting to give birth. Terran was technically born prematurely, in the middle of winter, in the freezing cold, without doctors. Mike held my hand, Emily delivered him."

"Serena…"

"And despite his Nighlok appearance, which only turns up with he's scared or angry, he's still my little boy. My _human_ baby boy."

"I'm sorry, Serena. I'm so…"

"And I wanted to tell you everything, but, despite what you think, knowing our secrets and being involved with the Samurai Rangers is a lot more dangerous than just being around me. I'm sorry I lied, but I did it to keep you safe!"

Serena tried to open the door again, but James held it shut.

"You've been through a lot," he said, "I get it. The last thing you needed was me screaming at you that you were the bad guy. I'm sorry. I wish I could say something that would erase it all, but I can't. Please, Serena, can we just… try again? You dropped a huge bomb on me and…"

"James…"

James shook his head. He took her hands in his and looked lovingly into her eyes.

"You're amazing, Serena. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. I was scared, but that's no excuse for what I said. Terran and the Nighlok thing freaks me out but… I can get used to it, or, I can try at least. Please, let me try."

Serena lowered her head, "James…"

"I love you," James whispered. Serena's head snapped back up. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. He noticed she seemed somewhat startled, terrified even, but there was something else. Something that kept him hanging on. He squeezed her hands, "I've never said that before, not to any woman. But you're just… you're so amazing and strong and… please, Serena. One chance."

"Y-Y-You love me…"

"I think I always have," James said. Serena swallowed and nodded her head. James had said it before, not in those exact words, but when he had tried to talk to her at school, his feelings for her had slipped out. Still, to hear those three words, spoken as they were, had startled her. Her chin quivered. She tried to move away but James wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered. He couldn't stand to see her so hurt. He couldn't believe he had made her cry. He squeezed her lovingly, "I don't care about the danger, anymore. I don't care about the monsters. I just want you. Please, Serena."

Serena didn't move. She didn't say anything for a while. James took it as a sign she wasn't ready to leave him and he believed there was still hope. He kissed her forehead and kept her wrapped up tightly in his arms, "I love you."

"I love you too," he heard her muffled voice say back to him as she buried her face in his chest and let him hold her. James smiled. He never wanted to let go, especially when he heard her sob.

"It's okay," he kissed the top of her head, "It's okay. It's over now."

-Samurai-

Mike walked into Mia and Kevin's room to check up on the blue and pink couple. He was a little taken aback by what he saw when he walked in, though.

"Alright, alright," he said, alerting them of his presence, "If you're well enough to do that, you can get your own snacks."

He set down a tray of food on their bed and shook his head, "Seriously, guys? You have an entire day to nap and you still choose to…"

"It was just a kiss," Kevin said. He sat up in bed and stretched for the toast, "It doesn't take a lot of energy."

Mike smirked, "The way you were doing it does."

Mia rolled her eyes, "So what happened? Why do I feel like I've been hit by a truck?"

"A seal was set up," Mike said, "It took the power from our Samuraizers, and when you guys tried to use your symbols, it hurt you."

"That was one of the worst headaches of my life," Kevin said and rubbed his forehead. Mike shot him a look.

"You were pretty out of it, dude. At one point, on the way home, Jayden swears you were crying. Are you trying to tell me you've have worse headaches?"

Kevin nodded his head slowly, "I'm staring at my biggest headache."

Mike looked over his shoulder before catching on to what Kevin meant, "Hey! I made you a snack."

"Toast with butter?" Kevin held up his slice, "I can see you went all out."

"Thank you, Mike," Mia said with a smile, "_We_ appreciate it," she gave Kevin a nudge as she spoke. Kevin turned to her.

"What?"

Mike chuckled, "You guys rest up. Mentor says you should be fine after some more sleep. And take advantage of it. I'd love to be in your position right now. You know, except for the whole headache, body pain part of it."

-Samurai-

As Jayden promised, he returned back to his bedroom to watch the movie with Antonio. He took a seat in the chair and made sure they could both see the computer screen.

Antonio shifted over in his bed, "You can lie down if you want. It won't give me the wrong idea."

Jayden looked at the empty spot on the bed and shook his head. He wasn't worry about Antonio getting the wrong idea. He was worried about giving himself the wrong idea. He shook his head, "I'm fine, Antonio, but thanks."

"Are you sure?" Antonio asked, "The chair's not…"

"It's okay. You'll probably fall asleep anyways, right? And you tend to spread out."

"Sure, I guess."


	4. Antonio's Plan

When Emily woke up she found herself alone in Serena's room. She hadn't been expecting this. She had so many friends in the house; she thought for sure one of them would be by her bed.

She remembered Serena explaining to her what happened. A seal had been put up as a trap which took all the power from the Samuraizers, stealing the Rangers of their symbols and weapons. But Kevin, Mia, and Emily had learned to summon their powers without the help of the Samuraizers. Of course, with the seal in place, their extra power came at a cost. Not only was it more draining to use their powers without the Samuraizers, but the seals hurt them.

And she remembered it hurt a lot.

She tried to push herself out of bed when the door finally opened and Mike walked in, hiding something behind his back. He saw her trying to get up and rushed to her side. With one hand he pushed her back down. The other continued to hide something behind his back.

"Sorry," he told her, "I thought I would be back before you woke up."

He pulled his hand out from behind his back, revealing a bouquet of sunflowers. He knew Emily loved them and wanted to get her something to cheer her up when she was awake. "I couldn't make them myself so I had to run to the florist."

Emily smiled at the gift and took them in her hands. She looked up at Mike.

"You didn't have to. I'm fine."

"I wanted to," Mike answered. He took a seat on the side of her bed.

"You're not trying to win me back," Emily reminded him. "We are still together, you know."

Mike smiled and leaned in for a kiss, "I know."

Emily gave him a kiss and then looked at her flowers happily. Mike always knew how to cheer her up. He always knew what to do to put a smile on her face. But then he took the flowers from her hands and set them on the night table beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her as he took her hand. Emily shrugged her shoulders.

"Better, now."

"Are you still tired?" he asked. "If you want to sleep…?"

Emily nodded her head and as Mike was about to leave she grabbed him. She pulled him in and rested her head against his chest. She wrapped her arms loosely around his waist and shut her eyes.

Mike held her in his arms and rocked her, "Can I tell you something?" he asked and felt Emily nodding her head. He smiled, "You know I lost it. I let my anger get the better of me…"

"Mike, it's okay…"

"It's not okay," Mike shook his head, "I was scared of losing you and then I almost did. When I proposed in the kitchen, you were right to turn it down. We can't get married."

Emily pulled away and looked up at Mike, "No, that's not what I meant…"

"Em," Mike smiled and kissed her, then pulled her back into his arms, "Listen to me, okay. I don't want to marry you."

"Mike…" Emily tried to pull away again but Mike held onto her. She started to become upset and pulled more and more, but he just hugged her tight. "I'm sorry…" she whispered.

"Don't apologize, Em," Mike told her, "I don't want to marry you until I get my anger under control again. I never, ever, want to hurt you like I did. I want to love you, no matter what you do to me. No matter how mad you make me, I want to be able to treat you the way you deserve to be treated; the way everyone expects me to treat you."

He kissed her forehead and had her look up at him, "I've been seeing Dr. Fletcher. I've had two sessions with him already. He's been helping me out quite a bit."

"You've been seeing the doctor?"

Mike nodded his head, "If it means keeping you safe, I'll see him for the rest of my life."

"What did he say?"

"So far nothing I don't know," Mike said, "but he says we're going to work on relaxation techniques soon. I'll have new ways of calming myself down."

"That's good."

"He did say one thing, though. One thing I think we need to discuss."

"What?"

"Communication."

"We are communicating. We do communicate."

"Did you think I was really going to stop you, Em? When you went after Dekker to protect Serena and Terran, would I have really been able to stop you?"

"You couldn't," Emily shook her head, "Nothing could."

"So why didn't you tell me?"

"You would have tried to stop me…"

"How?" Mike asked, "Unless I tied you down, there would have been no way."

"You would have followed me out. I needed to be alone for Dekker to believe me."

Mike hugged Emily, "What you did worked, and I'm proud of you, but we're a team. If you do something, I at least need to know about it. Please, Em, help me keep calm by keeping me in the loop, okay?"

Emily nodded her head. She rested against Mike's chest.

"Deal."

Mike held her close until she fell asleep and then he still didn't let her go.

-Samurai-

Antonio had fallen asleep partway through the movie and Jayden couldn't take his eyes off him. It was creepy, he understood that, but he wasn't actually staring. He was just so lost in thought.

In his pocket was his cell phone. He remembered Amanda's orders not to contact her until the threat was gone, but he was starting to feel like he didn't have a choice. He never wanted to put her in danger, but he had to get this sorted. He was so conflicted, and as the red Ranger he had enough to worry about.

He shook his head clear of his thoughts and broke his gaze away from Antonio. He got up and walked into the hallway. He took a seat on the floor and leaned against the wall. He had Amanda's number memorized.

The phone rang several times before she picked up and said hello. Jayden was reminded just how much he loved her when he heard her voice.

"Amanda…"

"Jayden?" she was surprised. He wasn't. "I told you not to…"

"Something's come up. We need to talk."

As he explained all his confusion and all his feelings to Amanda, he didn't notice Ji had walked into the hall. Mentor was holding Terran in his arms, keeping the young boy out of his mother's way while Serena and James worked on figuring out what exactly their relationship was going to be. He found Terran liked to move around the house and explore all the different sights, and that led Mentor into Jayden's hallway.

He heard everything. He was a little hurt at first. Jayden had all these secrets that he never shared with him, but then hearing from Jayden's mouth just how confusing and how scary this was, Mentor could understand it was a big deal. He could understand why Jayden didn't want to talk about it to many people. From what he heard Jayden say, Mia and Serena had an idea of what he was facing, and Antonio knew almost everything, but no one else in the house even had a clue.

As Jayden finished up the conversation with Amanda, Ji slipped out of the hallway. Jayden would tell him when he was ready. Until then, he was going to respect his son's wishes.

He bounced Terran in his arms, "Why don't we go find Scruffy?" he asked the young boy, "Where's doggie? Do you see doggie?"

-Samurai-

After talking with Amanda, Jayden had a better idea of what he needed to do.

But first, before he could do anything in his personal life, he needed to make sure Arachnitor was defeated and the Sanzu Water was covered up.

And, most importantly, he needed to get his powers back.

He paced in the common room, back and forth. Occasionally he would look up at the Gap Sensor. As much as he hated Nighlok attacks, he was hoping it would go off. Powers or not, he was going to find a way to defeat Arachnitor.

"Antonio can summon up two swords for us," Mike suggested. "His powers haven't been stripped."

"He's tired," Jayden shook his head, "Just like the others. And when he recovers his energy…"

"What's the point in opening up the Black Box if we don't have our Ranger Powers back?" Mike asked. He took a seat on the stool and pulled up the map, "We need Antonio's help."

"So it's fine asking Antonio to drain himself and run into a battle knowing he'll be defeated, but when it comes to Mia, Kevin, and Emily, they need to stay home to stay safe?"

"We know where the seals are…"

"There could be hundreds of seals all around the city…"

"So Antonio will end up just like us," Mike said. "Powerless. He won't have to suffer miserable headaches, exhaustion, and pain. He's like us, Jay. He's got no idea how to tap into his Symbol Power without the Samuraizers."

Jayden clenched his fist tightly, "Don't remind me…"

"Dude, our lack of knowledge saved us. Sometimes, being in last place isn't a bad thing," Mike said and then he looked down at the map. There were still dozens of signals, but there was one that stuck out. "Jay, the Nighlok's in the city again."

"We have to go after him," Jayden said and he raced to the dojo, "We've got a few swords in here."

Mike followed him with an uncertain look, "Training swords?"

Suddenly, a katana was thrown at him and he caught it. It didn't seem as powerful as the Spin Swords, but it was definitely better than bringing a training sword into battle. He shrugged his shoulder, "Alright, it'll do."

"We've got no back-up, no Ranger powers, no symbols, and we're not backing down."

"Do it or die?"

"This Nighlok needs to be stopped. The seals need to be broken. It's always do or die."

Mike nodded his head and followed Jayden out the door.

Around the corner at the other end of the hallway, Serena and James stepped out. Serena turned to James.

"And that's our life," she said and gestured to the spot where Mike and Jayden had just been standing. She hadn't meant to eavesdrop on their conversation, but she and James had been passing by when they heard the boys talking.

James nodded his head, "I don't know how you do it."

Serena shrugged her shoulder, "We're raised with it. Since I could understand what my mother was telling me, I always knew I would be a Samurai. I always thought I was going to be the yellow Ranger."

"Then you got sick…"

Serena nodded, "I could have taken her place," she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned against the wall. "The Ape Zord chose her the day they met. I knew it, but I couldn't let her do this. She was just a kid, just a baby. I felt myself getting sick and ignored it. I thought it would go away. It didn't."

James placed his hand on her shoulder, "I'm serious, Serena. If there's anything I can do to help, I want to do it. You Samurai do so much for us, it's about time someone returns the favour."

"I can't ask you to risk it," Serena shook her head, "The Nighlok are dangerous."

"They don't seem to scare you."

"They try," Serena said and then sighed, "Unless you know how to program the Black Box…"

"I programmed my grandmother's VCR a while back."

Serena chuckled, "Cute."

"It couldn't hurt to have a look," James said, "Where is it?"

Serena had James follow her to Jayden and Antonio's bedroom. She signalled for him to be quiet so Antonio could sleep while she searched the room for the Box. When she found it, she gave it to James and pulled out her Samuraizer.

"I can analyze it," she said, "but I can't program it. I don't know how."

James looked at the screen on her Samuraizer, "It's interrupted?"

The Rangers don't have their powers. They aren't connected so the Black Box won't connect either."

"So they need to get their powers back?"

"A seal's stopping them from doing so. Unfortunately, I think they need this to break the seal."

"There's always a way to get in," James said.

Antonio suddenly sat up in bed, "What are you doing?"

James held out the Black Box, "You're the tech guy, right?"

"Yeah," Antonio held out his hand, "I've been working on this on and off for months."

"Mostly off," Serena said with a slight smirk, "This Box has been quite the bitch, from what I hear."

"It's interrupted. It can't completely the programming until the others get their powers back."

"Can't you hack into it or something?"

Antonio shook his head, "I don't think so. I mean, I've already had to hack into it… You're a genius!"

"What?"

"All the powers are already programmed inside," Antonio jumped out of bed and set the Black Box on the night table. "It doesn't need to connect. I've just got to get it started again."

"What?"

"Just let me work," Antonio said. He pulled out his morpher but just before he started a connection Serena placed her hand on top of his.

"Jayden doesn't want you to…"

"Then help me."

"What?"

"I can do all the technical stuff," Antonio put his Samurai Morpher away and gestured to Serena's, "I can guide you through it."

"You want me to do it?"

"It's draining and someone's gotta give it to the Rangers. There are no seals around here. If you can get it programmed I'll be fine for when the Nighlok attacks."

"He's already attacking," James said. "Mike and Jayden just left."

"Then someone will have to deliver it to them," Antonio smirked, "There are no seals here. I can morph in the house, give Jayden the box, destroy the seals that stole their powers and BAM, baby, we're back!"

"Alright," Serena said and held up her Samuraizer, "I hope you're right. What do I do?"


	5. Breaking the Seals

Mike really wished he had his Samuraizer. He needed it desperately.

While Arachnitor seemed to be running wild without instructions from Xandred, he still had plenty of Moogers at his disposal. With Arachnitor's wild and destructive behaviour, and the Moogers' desire to cut the unmorphed Rangers in half, the battle was much, much harder than anything else the Ranger had ever faced.

And to make matters worse: there was only two of them.

Jayden was suddenly grabbed by Arachnitor and launched through the air of the same construction site the Rangers had fought him in earlier. Mike finished off his Moogers and watched, unable to help. All he could do was hope Jayden didn't land in a pool.

Suddenly, Arachnitor reached out with his tentacles and grabbed Jayden again, before he could hit the ground, and slammed him into a pillar. When he let go, Jayden fell down into the dirt. He was surrounded by Sanzu Water, but he wasn't in it.

Mike fought through the remaining Moogers and made his way to Jayden. He jumped over a pool and landed protectively in front of the red Ranger. Arachnitor, for now, seemed perfectly content destroying big boulders and cement blocks, so Mike turned around and helped Jayden to his feet.

"Are you okay, dude?"

"I'm still breathing, aren't I?"

Mike shook his head, "I really think we should reconsider the do or die thing. We aren't getting anywhere with this swords. They don't cut it!"

"We have to…"

"If we were expecting help, fine," Mike grabbed Jayden's arm as the red Ranger tried to run off, "but dude, we're on our own. You told Antonio not to work on the box. The others are still in bed! They can't help us."

"Call Serena."

"No!" Mike pulled on Jayden's arm, "We need to retreat."

"We're fine…"

"Jayden…"

"Go home if you want," Jayden shook his head, "but I'm going to keep fighting."

Jayden jumped over the pool of water and charged at Arachnitor, ready for another round. Mike looked down at his sword and sighed. He wanted to leave. His gut was telling him to run and figure out something else that would keep him alive, but he wouldn't leave Jayden on his own.

"You're going to get me killed," he muttered and then raced forward. At least the Moogers were gone.

-Samurai-

"All you've got to do is hold the beam," Antonio said as he let go of Serena's Samuraizer. "Just stay focused… no…"

Serena, again, fell to her knees. Antonio couldn't blame her. He knew how exhausting this was, but he was starting to get a little frustrated. He took her Samuraizer from her and programmed it again. He put it back in her hands, "Hit the center button when you're ready."

Serena pushed herself up to her feet as a beam came out of her Samuraizer. It connected with the box for a few moments before it failed and Serena hit the ground again.

"C'mon, Serena," Antonio said as gently as he could, but it was obvious he was getting frustrated. He took her Samuraizer from her and programmed it once more.

James knelt down beside Serena. He had never seen her so tired. He wouldn't have blamed her for giving up, but he couldn't remember seeing her do so before. She was anything but a quitter.

"You're going to keep trying?" he asked her and Serena nodded her head. He placed his hand on her back, "Need a little encouragement?"

"I need to get this done."

James smiled, "I know. I just thought… you know, you have to do this, right? I mean, saving the world aside, you don't actually want Terran to grow up needing to be a Samurai, right?"

Serena turned to James, "What?"

"C'mon, isn't it obvious?" James asked, "You told me the Samurai powers were passed down from generation to generation. Your mom was a Samurai, your grandmother; it keeps going back, doesn't it?"

"Parent to child…"

"Do you really want to pass down your powers to Terran because you couldn't program a stupid box? Do you want him to live this life you've lived? He'll have to lie about what he is, what he does? Do you want him to have to push the people he cares about away just so he can keep them safe?"

Serena shook her head and James held out his hand. He pulled her up to her feet and Antonio gave her back her Samuraizer. He looked to her a little nervously.

"Are you sure you can do this?"

Serena nodded, pressed the center button and was connected. Antonio watched anxiously. James found himself biting his nails. Both men were certain it was just time standing still, but the beam kept up, longer and longer.

Suddenly, the boys and Serena were knocked off their feet and they were thrown into the wall behind them. James grunted and rubbed the back of his head. He wasn't quite sure what had happened but he hoped it was good. He saw Antonio on the other side of the room. The gold Ranger got up to his feet and ran over to the Black Box. He pulled out his Samurai Morpher and connected it to the Box. He pumped his fist in the air.

"Yeah, baby! It worked!"

James watched as Antonio morphed. With the Black Box in hand he raced out of the house to join Jayden and Mike in battle and deliver the one weapon that would hopefully save them.

"Guys! Guys!" Antonio called as he raced down the hallway.

Then James saw Serena on the ground, face down, and unmoving. He raced to her side and rolled her over. She seemed to be breathing just fine, and when he felt for a pulse he found one. He breathed a sigh of relief and gently tried to wake her.

"Serena. C'mon, Serena, wake up."

Serena began to stir and her eyes fluttered open. James could see she was still tired but at least he knew she was okay.

"Did I do it?"

He held her in his arms and hugged her, "You're amazing, Serena."

-Samurai-

Mike found himself slowing moving backwards as Arachnitor continued to assault him. He glanced over his shoulder. One more step and he would be in a pool.

"Jayden!" he screamed, hoping for help, but the red Ranger was still struggling to get up after being beaten down. Mike saw this and realised he was on his own, "I should have left when I had the chance."

He tried to push the Nighlok back, but Arachnitor knocked his sword away and grabbed him with a tentacle. Mike was really starting to hate them, but at least they were keeping him from falling into the Sanzu Water.

He pushed and pushed against the tentacle around his waist, "Let me go!"

"Jayden! Mike!"

The boys heard Antonio shout and they looked to the source of his voice. He had somehow found a way to morph and was running right onto the battle field. A little ways behind him were the other Rangers. They weren't morphed but they seemed ready to fight.

Antonio drew his Barracuda Blade. He knew he could no longer use symbols, so he had prepared a few weapons in advance. With his Blade, he slashed at the Nighlok, cutting off his tentacle and releasing Mike, while causing the Nighlok some pain. Arachnitor stumbled backwards and Mike fell to the ground.

Antonio pulled him up to his feet, "Are you okay?"

Mike nodded his head, "Yeah. You're morphed. How did…?"

"No time to explain," Antonio said and he pulled out the Black Box. Jayden stumbled over and gave Antonio a hard look.

"I told you…"

"I just saved your butt," Antonio chuckled. He placed the Black Box in Jayden's hands, "Here, fearless leader. It's only fair you get first use. I'll keep spider-face distracted."

"But we can't use it," Jayden shook his head, "The seals…"

"Are where?" Kevin asked Jayden. The red Ranger looked up worriedly.

"No. You can't…"

"We still have Symbol Power," Mia said. "We have enough energy to break the seals."

"And if we break them, we don't have to worry about headaches," Emily smiled. "We're taking the risk."

"You can't," Jayden shook his head. "I won't let you guys."

Mia and Kevin looked to each other. Jayden was their leader, but sometimes they couldn't obey his commands.

Emily looked to Mike, "I have to do this," she said.

Mike smiled and saw what she was doing. Her plan with Mia and Kevin was risky. If she used her Symbol Power but couldn't break the seal she would get hurt. By telling Mike of her plan, she was including him. She wasn't asking for permission. She was keeping him in the loop.

"I know," he nodded. Emily smiled back and touched Mia and Kevin's arms.

"You two can wear down the seals," she said, "I can make two rocks big enough to shatter them."

"Wait for our signal," Kevin said to Mike and Jayden as Mike pointed them to the direction of the seals. Jayden turned to the green Ranger, furious.

"Mike, they're going to get…"

"Do or die," Mike reminded Jayden with a chuckle, "C'mon, dude, are you forgetting your own motto?" he pulled on Jayden's arm, "While they do that, Antonio looks like he can use some help."

Mia, Kevin, and Emily ran to the pillars and saw two seals placed one across from the other. They knew that unless they wanted another painful headache, they were going to have to destroy them both at the same time.

Mia and Kevin had the power to weaken the seals. If they used a strong enough attack, they could get it to at least crack so that when Emily hit the seals with her stones, they would shatter, but they needed to act quickly.

Kevin turned to Mia, "If you start to feel a headache coming on you stop, okay?"

"You too," Mia nodded her head and she and Kevin exchanged smiles. Emily stood between both of them and looked back and forth.

"Yeah, me too," she said. She pointed to each seal, "You guys weaken it and then duck. I don't want to hit you by mistake."

"We should have brought helmets," Mia muttered but turned and did as she was told. She traced a symbol in the air. Already she could feel the pain starting to creep up and the seals began to glow, indicating they were working against her and Kevin.

Kevin traced the symbol for stream and a very thin, but very powerful jet of water shot out at the seal. Mia, meanwhile, summoned up a tornado and aimed it right at her seal. Just as cracks started to appear, Kevin and Mia both felt they had had enough. Their attacks ceased and they fell to their knees, holding their heads. The seals were cracked, but they could still work.

Emily bit her lip and made two large and heavy stones with her symbol and launched one at Mia's seal and the other at Kevin's. The stones flew over her teammate's heads and, thanks to their attacks, shattered the seals. Emily fell to her knees as pain started, but as quickly as it came, it suddenly disappeared and Emily was left feeling tired, and without headaches.

She was pulled up to her feet by Mia. Kevin was busy giving Jayden the signal.

Jayden saw Kevin giving him a thumbs up and nodded his head. He pulled out his Samuraizer and morphed. He held the Black Box in his hand and glared at Arachnitor.

"Let's see what's inside this box."


	6. Super Samurai

Jayden felt power coursing through his veins. He barely had the time to examine what exactly the Black Box had done to him, but he couldn't help but notice he was wearing a white jacket. It didn't look like much, but the power felt amazing. He felt like… well, a Super Samurai.

Arachnitor saw this new weapon and how it seemed to change the red Ranger, who only now decided to morph. With rage, he attacked, launching himself into battle carelessly. Jayden didn't feel the need to move quickly. With the extra power at his disposal, he knew what he had to do.

His sword seemed more effective. With every swing he could hear the Nighlok grunting and growling in pain. Arachnitor shot out a tentacle, but Jayden cut through it like it was nothing.

After having his fun, Jayden knew the battle needed to come to an end. He was still full of energy, but Arachnitor had pissed him off. He put his Lion Disk inside the Black Box and his Spin Sword caught fire.

"Super Blazing Strike!" he shouted and struck Arachnitor across the chest. The Spider Nighlok stumbled backward. His body sparked as Jayden's attack lingered and destroyed him from the inside out. Finally, he exploded.

"Dude!" Jayden heard Mike cry as he turned around and saw his friends coming towards him. "That was awesome!"

Jayden looked down at his White Jacket, "It feels awesome."

Jayden didn't have much more time to admire his jacket as Arachnitor began to grow. He looked to his friends. Antonio was still morphed and ready to fight, and Mike seemed like he could go for another round inside the Zords, but Kevin, Mia, and Emily looked like they had had enough.

But the trio pulled out their mini Zords, "Do as Jayden says," Kevin told his dragon Zord while Mia instructed the turtle to follow Antonio's command and Emily passed her Ape over to Mike.

"You three take cover," Mike told them, "This might get messy."

Antonio gave Jayden a pat on the back, "Let's see what this suit looks like in Mega Mode."

-Samurai-

Back at the Shiba House, James had carried Serena back to her room and set her down in her bed. He couldn't believe just how exhausting it was using the powers she had been wielding basically since birth, but that only made her more amazing to him. She had done this, and everything else, not for herself. It seemed she couldn't care less about her own health. She kept coming back to school to help Mitch and the other students being bullied, and she even helped the students who hurt and attacked her. She sacrificed her own health to try and protect her sister, and while it had failed, it was still an honourable thing to do in James' eyes.

And just now she had given the Black Box everything she had to protect her son. She never even thought twice about it. He had seen her determination the minute he mentioned Terran's name. Serena gave, and gave, and gave everything she had and more. The least she deserved in return was love. If she let him, he would give it and more to her.

As her eyes fluttered open he smiled. He held her hand softly in his.

"Still tired?"

"Exhausted," Serena nodded her head and then realised where she was. She was in her bed, but from what she could remember her bed was supposed to be occupied. Her eyes shot open and she sat up straight, "Emily!"

"Is fine," James assured her. "Antonio grabbed her, Kevin, and Mia on his way out. They went to help Jayden and Mike and deliver the Black Box."

"So it really worked?" Serena asked. James smiled.

"Yeah, but you really gave it your all, huh?"

"Do or die," Serena said.

"Serena, James," Mentor called as he appeared in the doorway with Terran, "Come see this."

Serena and James traded looks before he helped out of bed and down to the common room. Mentor Ji had the map up so he could monitor the Ranger's signal, but the news was also playing on TV and the reporter was following the Megazord battle.

Serena's jaw dropped, "A new Megazord combination?"

"It seems like it," Ji smiled proudly. "The Rangers seem to be winning."

"And if they're in Mega-mode that means they can use Symbol Power," Serena said, "That means they broke the seals!"

Suddenly there was a big explosion on TV and like usual all the energy in the area caused the cameras to malfunction which meant the news couldn't catch the last part of the battle. But Serena and Ji looked down at the map and Arachnitor's signal was gone.

"They did it!" Serena smiled and hugged James. Mentor looked at Terran and gave the young boy a squeeze.

-Samurai-

Mike, Jayden, and Antonio powered down in the construction site and found Mia, Kevin, and Emily coming out of their hiding spot. Jayden passed the Black Box over to Kevin.

"I definitely think it was worth what we went through," he said. "The power feels amazing."

"Jay's promised to let us all use it outside of training at least once," Mike said with a big grin on his face, "I can't wait for my turn."

"I didn't promise," Jayden rolled his eyes, "I said we'll see what happens."

Mike rolled his eyes, "We all put our blood, sweat, and tears into programming that thing. We should all get a shot."

Jayden smirked playfully and took the Black Box from Kevin, "I'm the red guy. I get all the power ups."

Mia snatched the Box from Jayden, "I think Emily and I should use it," she said and wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulder, "You boys all have extra Zords. What do we get?"

"Alright, alright," Jayden held his hands up in the air and then took the Box back from Mia, "It's got all our Zords and symbols. It's only fair we share."

"Dibs on next!" Mike called out. He took the Black Box and tried to run but Kevin grabbed his arm.

"Uh, who is second in command, here?"

"We'll figure out a system," Jayden promised and then he turned to Emily, "But first, we've got a bunch of pools that need covering. Think you're up to it on your own?"

Emily nodded and pulled out her Samuraizer, "Fine, but you guys owe me big."

-Samurai-

Mentor made a few adjustments to the map. He could tell from the signals that the Rangers were going around town and covering up the pools of water. There was no way to stop the River from seeping through, but they could make each and every pool harder to reach for the Nighlok which would force them to retreat once they dried out. So as Emily covered up the pools with her stones and dirt, their signals disappeared from the map. This way, they could keep track of the new ones when they came up.

Over in the dojo, Serena was sitting with James and Terran. She knew the Rangers would be home soon and she wanted to share with them the good news. She was taking James back. Despite everything he had said, Serena didn't want to let him go. He had been pretty amazing and patient with her before he found out her secret. She figured he deserved another shot.

And the way he was playing with Terran was proof that she had made the right decision.

"He loves peek-a-boo," Serena told James as she sat behind him and rested her head on his shoulder so she could look at her son's smiling face. "He plays with Auntie Emy all the time."

James froze when he heard Emily's name. He turned his head and looked at Serena, "She's got no clue I'm even here."

"There's armour all around the house," Serena chuckled, "You should put it on quick before she gets home."

James furrowed his brow, "I should be fine, right? You mentor uncle person…"

"Uncle, if you want," Serena said. "My Uncle Ji."

"Yeah. He said she was covering up all the pools. She was tired earlier and probably tired from the fight, and then tired from covering up the water…"

"I've always believe Emily's got some kind of energy storage unit somewhere in that tiny body," Serena said, "She taps into it for emergencies or when someone feeds her too much sugar."

"And emergencies would mean…?"

"Super Samurai time!" Serena and James heard Mike shouting at the front door opened. Serena looked to the dojo door and then back to James.

"So, if you open up any closet…"

"There's no time!" James grabbed some of the training dummies from around the dojo and put them side by side before he hid behind them, "I like my nose."

Serena grabbed James by the arm and pulled him along, "C'mon, scaredy-cat. I'll protect you."

She took him to the common room where everyone had gathered to celebrate. While Jayden, Mike, Mentor, and Antonio knew of James' presence in the house, Kevin, Mia, and Emily did not.

James saw Emily was fast asleep on Mike's back and knew he had gotten lucky. At least for a little while longer he would live.

Mia and Kevin exchanged looks before Mia turned back to Serena, "You took him back?"

Serena nodded and smiled. She looked up at James, "I figured a second shot wouldn't hurt."

"It might hurt me," James whispered and pointed in Emily's direction. "Is she…"

"Out like a light," Mike promised and lifted her a little higher on his back, "I'm just going to put her in her bed."

"She covered up all the pools," Jayden smiled. "She did great, but she could have used your help. Especially near the end."

"Hey, it's thanks to me you got that Black Box," Serena said and pointed to the device on the table, "I did my job."

"You did it?" Kevin asked and he turned to Antonio, "But I thought…"

"I still did all the techy stuff," Antonio assured the blue Ranger, "We just had the Black Box drain her energy instead of mine so I could morph and help you guys."

"And it worked?"

"We defeated the Nighlok," Antonio smiled.

"I think this deserves a celebration," Mentor said. "I'll go into town and pick up something special for dinner. Any requests?"

"Anything but pizza," the Rangers said, taking advantage of the fact that Mike wasn't in the room to demand his favourite food. Ji nodded his head and laughed.

Jayden gave Antonio a quick pat on the back. Now that things were back to normal he could start focusing on his personal life again. He nodded his head in the direction of their room, "Can we talk about something?"

"About _something?"_ Antonio asked and Jayden nodded. Both boys slipped out of the room unnoticed and walked to their room. Antonio took a seat on his bed and Jayden started to pace around.

"You remember our date?"

"Our fake date," Antonio said, "Yeah… sorry I feel asleep the second time around. I was…"

"I like you, Antonio. I like you, like you."

Antonio looked up. He was a little surprised to be hearing this, "Uh, okay. I can back off with the helping if…"

"No, please don't," Jayden said. He took a seat on his own bed, "You know I love Amanda. I love her so much I can't… I can't describe it. But… I like you too, a lot. And not in any kind of platonic way."

"You have feelings for me too?"

"Strong feelings," Jayden nodded. "Feelings I don't want to ignore. It's not fair to me and it won't be fair to Amanda. With her blessing, I'd like to ask you out. On a real date."

"I…"

"Before you say yes," Jayden interrupted, "I just want to be honest about everything. Amanda still means the world to me. I still think I love her more but I just… I want to figure out what we have. I can't not explore these feelings and be fair to everyone involved."

"So if you can't love me as much as Amanda… we won't…"

"We'll always be friends, Antonio. Whatever happens between us and whatever you say now, I always want to be friends. But I can't keep you close and still hold onto Amanda if I don't get my own feelings figured out. And I don't want to push either of you away. This is the only way I see that's fair for everyone."

"What are you going to tell Amanda?"

"She knows," Jayden said. "I called her up and explained to her what's happened. She was pretty pissed about me calling her, but she understood. She's a lot like you, actually. Very understanding. She's agreed I need to do this."

"So I'm just your experiment?" Antonio asked. Jayden could see Antonio was starting to take this the wrong way. He shook his head.

"No, no. I have feelings for you, Antonio. Real feelings. Right now they aren't as strong as the feelings I have for Amanda and that's why I want to be honest with you. That's why I'm telling you all this. So there are no secrets. If I do love Amanda more, I have to make sure. I don't want to realise my feelings were wrong in ten, twenty years when I'm married or something. I don't want to cheat on her with you. I don't want to lie about the way I feel about you. But if you don't want to do this just… just say no. I'll figure something else out. I'll do like what you did when I had to turn you down. I'll move on."

Antonio wanted this more than anything, but he also wanted to be smart. He didn't want to be second place to Amanda.

"Can we set up some… rules?"

"Like?"

"We can try this," Antonio said and pointed to himself and Jayden, "but the minute you realise who you want, you tell me. Even if it's Amanda; even if you think it's going to break my heart. I want to know. I don't want to waste my time if we don't have a chance. Can you do that?"

"I won't waste your time, I promise," Jayden smiled. "I do really like you, Antonio, and people who think they like each other date, right?"

"Yeah," Antonio nodded, "But one more condition."

"Anything."

"We take it slow."

"Sure," Jayden smiled. He got up from his bed, "Is a hug too fast?"

Antonio chuckled and got up to give Jayden a hug.


	7. Dates

Emily was not a happy person. Not at this time.

She knew her older sister was an adult. She knew her older sister could make her own decisions. She knew her older sister knew what she was doing.

But her older sister was an idiot.

Then again, her date had strangled her, but that was different. He had anger issues. James was just a… a…

"I don't like him," Emily crossed her arms over her chest as she stood in the lobby of the restaurant. She was on a triple date with Mia, Serena, and their boyfriends, just as Serena had promised. She knew Serena had taken James back. After everything he had said, she decided to just forgive and forget.

But Emily wouldn't forget. No one hurt Serena and got away with it. Never.

"I know Kevin's a bit boring sometimes," Serena teased, "But I'm sure once you get to know him…"

"Not Kevin," Emily pouted. "Why did you take him back?"

"Because I love him…"

Emily stuck her fingers in her ears, "LALALALALA…"

Serena turned to Mia, "So, hypothetically, if James and I were to get married, would you be my maid of honour?"

Mia chuckled and nodded her head but turned her attention to Emily, who was pulling her fingers out of her ears, "Hey! But you promised! You said if you lived long enough to get married…"

"I don't want my maid of honour to speak now," Serena teased.

"But James is a…"

"We got a table," James announced as he arrived with the boys. Serena smiled and took his hand. She shot a look Emily's way.

"C'mon, Monster."

-Samurai-

"What about Mentor?"

"He says he needed to get out of the house. Something about needing some time away from all the crying and whining and cute little Terran."

"I think that was a jab at us."

Jayden looked over to Antonio, "You think?"

The gold Ranger shrugged his shoulders, "With that smell coming out of… that thing… just barely."

Jayden looked down at Terran. The little boy's diaper was full and needed to be changed.

Unfortunately, like most of his other diapers, this one was a stinker, and with Serena out of the house, along with the rest of the Samurai, and Mentor needing a bit of a break, it was up to Jayden and Antonio to change him.

They had done so before, so they knew what they were getting themselves into and both hoped they could pass the responsibility off to the other.

Terran looked up at his uncles and smiled sweetly.

Antonio looked to Jayden, "Well, fearless leader. What are you waiting for?"

"I face Nighlok and other dangerous monsters. Stinky diapers are… no."

"What ever happened to never asking us to do something you wouldn't do yourself?" Antonio said. Jayden glared at the gold Ranger.

"I changed him right after Serena left."

"That one didn't require a gas mask. I'm pretty sure once we open that up…"

"How about we tag team?" Jayden suggested. Antonio got to his feet.

"Brilliant idea. I'll go get the wipes. You open him up."

"I… Antonio!" Jayden shook his head and looked back down at Terran with a sigh, "I should have seen that coming."

He reached for the diaper, "Here goes nothing…"

-Samurai-

"I'll just leave the dessert menu right here," the waitress said as she placed the menu down on the corner of the table, between James and Serena, and set off, leaving the entire table tempted to order another course.

James picked up the menu, "If you guys have room, it's on me."

Kevin shook his head, "None for me, but thank you."

"I'm still full," Mia nodded her head, "but I'll remember next time."

James chuckled and then turned to Mike. It was obvious the green Ranger was never going to turn down dessert.

"I'll eat theirs," he said and took the menu from James' hands, "You know, because you offered."

"I was ready to pay for six anyways," James smiled. He then turned to Emily, "This place has awesome ice-cream. With sprink…"

"No."

"Thank you," Serena added for her sister and glared at Emily. "Manners, please."

"It's fine," James said, "I've got a lot of work to do, huh, Em?"

"Emily," Emily glared at James, "No, Em."

Kevin leaned over and whispered in Mia's ear, "She's really not happy about this, huh?"

"Not really," Mia shook her head, "If I were in her shoes though I would probably be…"

"You are in her shoes," Kevin said, "Everyone sees it. You, Emily, and Serena are all sisters. You were pretty angry at James, but you got over it."

"I guess."

"Talk to her," Kevin gestured to Emily, "Maybe she just needs to hear something positive about James from someone other than Serena."

Mia nodded her head and then looked at Emily, "I have to go to the bathroom."

Emily's eyes shifted back and forth between Mia, and Serena and James. She wasn't about to leave her sister alone with James, even if the boys were staying at the table.

But Mia insisted, "And I think I will take a dessert. Serena, when the waitress comes by, mind ordering a slice of that chocolate cake."

Serena looked to Mia and saw the pink Ranger wink. She smiled and nodded her head, "Yeah, sure. No problem."

"C'mon, Emily."

Emily shook her head, "Maybe we should start doing like the guys and just go to the bathroom by ourselves."

"I need you."

"Sit and pee."

"Just go," Serena slid out of the booth and pulled Emily with her. She got her sister to her feet and then quickly sat down to keep Emily from getting back in.

Emily glared at Serena, then at Mia. She rolled her eyes and followed Mia to the washrooms.

James sighed and looked at Serena, "She hates me."

"Hate's a strong word," Serena shook her head.

"You're right," James nodded, "I'll need something stronger."

Mike set the dessert menu down and folded his arms over the table. He looked at Serena, "Question."

"Yes, Mike. If you eat three desserts you will get fat."

"No. Why do you go to the bathroom in pairs? What happens in there that requires a buddy?"

Serena smirked, "Not telling."

-Samurai-

"You know," Antonio shouted over Terran's screaming. The poor young Samurai was hungry and his uncles couldn't prepare him his bottle fast enough. Antonio noticed he had Jayden's attention and smirked, "Technically, this could count as a first date."

"I was thinking somewhere out of the house and no baby," Jayden called back. He tested the temperature of the milk on his wrist. Finally it was just right. He passed the bottle over to Antonio who quick stuck it in Terran's mouth. Finally the young boy was happy.

"Terran usually falls asleep after he's fed," Antonio suggested, "And we might not be able to go out for a while. What if, when he's sleeping, we turn off the lights in the common room, turn on a movie, and pretend we're in the theaters."

"You mean date while we're babysitting?"

"We're taking it slow," Antonio shrugged, "And he'll be in another room. Even if we did decide to make-out, he won't see it."

"I guess it's not like we'll be doing anything Serena wouldn't approve of."

"Exactly."

"And we are grown men."

"Right."

"And Terran won't even remember this day anyways. Alright, movie date in the common room it is," Jayden smiled. "I'll get started on the popcorn. You can put him down."

"C'mon, little monster," Antonio carried Terran out of the kitchen, "Who's ready for a nap?"

-Samurai-

Mia pulled Emily into the bathroom and made sure it was empty before she crossed her arms and looked at her little sister.

"Alright. You have thirty seconds to get it all out."

"I hate him," Emily said. "He promised he would never hurt her and then he did! You know what he said! You know how it affected her! She can't take him back! She just…"

"Time," Mia said. Emily huffed loudly and turned away from Mia.

"It's not right."

"Serena's a big girl, Emily. Wasn't she dating when you were still in diapers?"

Emily turned around and gave Mia a strange look, "The age gap isn't that big."

Mia chuckled, "Serena can take care of herself."

"Her last boyfriend tried to kill us."

"And she dumped him."

"She shouldn't have dated him in the first place. I was right about him! You were wrong and I was right!"

"Yeah, but…"

"No one listens to me!"

"We do listen, Emy."

"Then why is Dekker my nephew's father?" Emily shrieked. "No one listened to me then! You thought I was just the scared little sister. I was right."

"You were right, Emily, but…"

"And I'm right again. I don't like James. She shouldn't date him…"

"That is not your call to make," Mia growled. "You're her little sister…"

"Sister," Emily said. "I'm her sister."

"Whatever. You're her sister. You laugh with her, you cry with her. You're honest with her, but you do not tell her what do to. If she wants to take James back, she has every right to. Either you can stay in here and sulk, or you can go out there and give him a second shot."

"But…"

"Like Serena did with Mike," Mia added, "Do you think she was happy letting him get close to you again after what he did? James got angry and said some things he shouldn't have said. Mike attacked you! Mike actually tried to hurt you. Mike almost killed you."

"But…"

"If Serena can respect you and trust your decision with Mike, the least you can do is show her the same respect and trust. And, if you are right, you won't rub it in. You'll do exactly what she does for you when you're upset."

"I'll break his nose," Emily said.

Mia nodded her head, "After I break his neck. Now, do you want to share that chocolate cake with me? Or you would rather play bathroom attendant while I go back to our dates?"

"Can I eat the icing?"

"Will you be nice to James?"

Emily nodded, "I still don't like him."

"I never said you had to. But you can be civil, right? For Serena's sake."

"Fine," Emily said.

-Samurai-

Antonio didn't know what it was about movies that seemed to put him to sleep lately, but he couldn't keep his eyes open.

Then he looked over to the other side of the couch and he saw Jayden was about ready to pass out as well. It seemed they were both exhausted. Antonio laid across the center of the couch, taking up most of the room.

"If you don't mind, I'm just going to…"

Suddenly, Terran's screaming could be heard from both the baby monitor and from down the hall. Antonio groaned and pulled a pillow into his face. Jayden just nudged the gold Ranger with his foot.

"Ugh. Your turn."

"My turn?" he frowned. "I fed him and put him down."

"I changed his diaper."

"We agreed to tag-team that."

"You said you were going to get wipes and never came back."

"You never tagged me in," Antonio lifted the pillow off his face slightly and stuck his tongue out at Jayden. The red Ranger slapped the pillow out of Antonio's hands and down into his face.

"Well, someone's got to get him."

"Let him self-sooth."

"Isn't he still a little young for that?"

"Technically."

"And what if he actually needs something?" Jayden asked. He nudged Antonio with his foot again, "You get up."

"No, you."

"No, you."

"I will get him," Mentor said as he walked by the common room and alerted the two boys he was finally home. He saw them sitting together on the couch and shook his head as he walked by, but as soon as he was covered by the hallway wall he smirked to himself.

Antonio and Jayden exchanged looks and smiles.

"Well, that solves that," Antonio got comfortable on the couch until Jayden smacked him in the chest with a pillow.

"You got lucky this time."

"Luck had nothing to do with it."

"Luck had everything to do with it."

Antonio looked up at Jayden with a smile. The red Ranger laughed as he looked down at his friend.

-Samurai-

The date didn't end in the restaurant, but Emily's hostility towards James did. She barely spoke to him, but when she did she was kind. She had realised Mia was right; Serena could make her own choices. If Emily was right about James, all she could do was wait for James to make his mistake and then she could be there for her sister to comfort her.

And if she was wrong that meant James was a good guy. She wasn't sure if he was marriage material yet (like Serena had joked about at the door), but he was worth a shot.

The Samurai and James were playing with a Frisbee in the park and they were having a blast throwing the disk back and forth. With even numbers it was guys against girls. Every drop counted as a point for the opposite team and so far the boys were in the lead.

The Frisbee, tossed by Kevin, was headed Emily's way. She backed up and kept her eye on the flying disk, waiting until it was low enough to grab when suddenly she felt herself bumping into someone who snatched the disk right out of thin air.

"No fair!" she cried, "I had it!"

James launched the Frisbee across the park for Mia and Serena to try and catch. Emily just crossed her arms over her chest.

"I had it," she repeated. James just laughed.

"That's why it's called a steal."

Emily rolled her eyes and turned away, exercising her belief of not saying anything when she didn't have anything nice to say. But James grabbed her by the arm.

"I know I wronged your sister," he said. "I'd be mean too if I were in your shoes. She means a lot to you. But I wasn't trying to be a jerk. I do love her."

"She deserves the best," Emily answered, "She's amazing."

James just smiled, "You're just stating the obvious."

Emily chuckled, "Good one."

"Em! James! Incoming!" Kevin shouted and the two looked up to see the Frisbee headed back their way. Emily knew she could catch this one, but just before she could James snatched it out of the air again. She turned around and gave him a glare until he offered her the Frisbee. Emily smiled, took the Frisbee, and then threw it at his chest. James couldn't react fast enough to catch it and the Frisbee hit the ground.

"Point for us!" Emily giggled. She was closer to the ground and managed to grab the Frisbee first. She threw it across the park and then ran away from James.

He shook his head, "Oh, it's on, half-pint!"

Across the park, Kevin looked over to Mia.

"So, what did you tell her in the bathroom?"

Mia chuckled, "You saw. I offered her cake."

"I meant what did you tell her?" Kevin smiled.

"What Serena's been telling her all day," Mia shrugged. "You were right; Emily just needed to hear it from someone else."

"Wait, wait. Say that again."

"Emily just…"

"No, right before that."

Mia replayed her own words in her head before she smirked and shook her head, "You heard me."

"I want to hear it again. You said something about me being right?"

Mia laughed and shook her head, "What? No! Never!"

"Mia," Kevin prodded her ribs gently. She squealed and jumped away. "C'mon, say it!"

"Ouch, painful headache," Mia clutched her head but Kevin knew she was faking. He wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Say it or I'll never let go."

"Maybe I don't want you to let go."

"DON'T TOUCH MY SISTER!" Emily screamed and Kevin instantly set her down and stepped back. His eyes were wide in horror. He saw Emily standing with Serena, James, and Mike. The four of them were laughing and Mike handed James some money.

"I told you," James said, "It's not because I'm not a Samurai. Emily can scare everyone."

"I have a new superpower," Emily giggled.

Serena rolled her eyes, "You were always a little monster."

"Dude," Mike laughed and lightly punched Kevin in the chest, "You're scared of Emily?"

"I thought it was Serena…"

"Yeah, right."


	8. Terran's Screams

"You guys followed the schedule yesterday, right?" Serena asked Jayden and Antonio as she tried to rock a screaming Terran. She couldn't understand why he was crying. She had fed him, burped him, changed him, he wasn't too cold or too warm, and he had been loved and cuddled so much Serena was certain he wouldn't need another hug for the next five years, but still he wouldn't settle.

"Yeah," Antonio nodded his head, "He was fine with us yesterday."

Serena looked down at Terran. He seemed so unsettled, it worried her. He had been awake and fussy since the early hours of the morning and nothing Serena did could get him to calm down.

"Colic?" Jayden asked. He was sitting on his stool and in his lap was the baby book, the closest thing he and the Samurai had to a manual on how to properly raise Terran.

Serena groaned, "I hope not."

"Have you checked his temperature?"

"No point," Serena shook her head, "He's part Nighlok. I don't know what a normal temperature for Terran is."

"Just try it," Jayden suggested. Serena looked to him worriedly and then passed Terran over to Antonio while she went to fetch the diaper bag. She came back with a thermometer and asked Antonio to lay Terran on the floor. Then she started to undress him. Jayden looked on curiously.

"Can't you just stick it in his mouth?"

"Nope."

"So then where does it… oh…"

-Samurai-

Mia leaned against the doorframe of her bedroom and watched Kevin as he sat on their bed and stared intently at the Black Box. She knew he was eager to try it out, but now he was starting to border on obsessive.

She flicked her thumb over her shoulder, "We could go to the front yard and try it out if you really want a taste of it."

"I'm just thinking," Kevin said. He set the Box down as Mia walked over and took a seat beside him on the bed, "There's so much power in here. Imagine all the things we could with it."

"Xandred's probably surprised," Mia nodded her head, "I'm sure he's heard about it by now."

"Probably."

"He'll try harder, you know," Mia said, "He'll try to one-up us again. The Nighlok are going to keep getting stronger. Hopefully the Black Box can give us the power we need to handle it."

"I'm sure we'll figure something out," Kevin smiled.

Mia took the Black Box in her hand and smirked mischievously, "So, if you're not going to test it out, maybe I could give it a shot."

"No way," Kevin snatched the box from her hand and jumped off the bed, "I want it!"

"Hey! I had it first!" Mia called as she chased after Kevin. He bolted around the house, hoping he could tire her out, but after a few laps he started to notice something odd. There was not a soul anywhere. Not in the dojo, not in the kitchen, or the common room. He skidded to a stop.

Mia saw her opening and took the Box from his hand. Suddenly she noticed it too. They were alone.

"They can't all be in their rooms, right?"

Kevin shrugged his shoulders and went to check the kitchen. If they had all left the house, that would have been where they a note. He did see one, sitting on the counter and opened it up.

"_Something's wrong with Terran. Antonio, Jayden, and I have gone to take him to the doctor. We don't know when we'll be back._

"_Serena."_

Kevin brought the note back to Mia and let her read it over. She looked up at him worriedly.

"It must have been urgent."

"That's not good, right?"

Mia shook her head, "No. It's not," she pulled out her Samuraizer.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling Antonio. Hopefully he'll tell us where they went. Go see if Emily and Mike know."

-Samurai-

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Jayden asked as he stood with Serena and Antonio outside the home of Dr. Harada. Jayden was sure any regular doctor would do, even with Terran's part Nighlok existence, but Serena insisted Dr. Harada was the only doctor who could help.

Antonio, who had just finished a call with Mia, was nervous as he looked to Serena, "You realise this is the doctor who suggested we kill Terran, right?"

Serena hugged her crying son, "I have to try. He's the only doctor who knows enough about humans and Nighlok. If anyone can figure out what's upsetting Terran… I have to try."

She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Jayden and Antonio looked to each other uncertainly. They remembered how their last encounter with the doctor had ended. Dr. Harada had stormed out, furious that the Samurai would even consider saving a Nighlok's life. They were sure he would turn them down. Serena wouldn't listen to their warnings.

The door opened up and a small, frail looking man glanced up at the three Samurai and the screaming baby. He recognised them immediately and tried to slam the door but Serena stuck her foot in the way.

"He needs a doctor."

"That child is a Nighlok," Harada growled. He knew Serena was Ellie's daughter so there was no sense trying to kick her out. He opened the door and let the Samurai in. "I help the Samurai, not the Nighlok."

"Terran is a Samurai," Serena said. "He's just as much a Samurai as I am."

Harada shook his head, "I will not help your son. I will not help you. You brought this Nighlok into the world."

"Serena, c'mon," Antonio said, "Leave the old man alone. That's how he'll die, anyways, if he doesn't change his attitude."

"I do not help the Nighlok."

"Then just tell me what's wrong," Serena said. "Tell me why my son won't stop crying…"

"Because he is a Nighlok!" Dr. Harada stated sharply, "Your son does not belong with us. He is a monster. Like all monsters, he needs to be taken care of."

Serena clenched her fists. Her frustration was doing nothing to calm her son, and his screaming only made her frustration grow. She wanted to help him. She needed to help him.

"If anything happens to my son, I'll make sure he and you end up in the same place," Serena growled. "Tell me what's wrong with my son!"

"I will not help the Nighlok…"

"He's a Samurai…"

"Deny it all you want," Dr. Harada said, "Your son will always have two lives. You can raise him as a human, as a Samurai, but he will _always_ be a Nighlok."

"Serena, let's go," Jayden said, "He's not going to do anything for us. We're wasting our time."

"Time that could be spent figuring out what's wrong with Terran," Antonio added.

Serena gulped. Dr. Harada didn't seem willing to change his mind and Terran's screams were just getting worse and worse the more she fought with him. A tear slipped down her cheek and she turned away from the doctor.

"Don't ever expect any help from me."

"Why would I want help from you?" Dr. Harada asked as Serena walked out with the boys, "As far as I'm concerned, anyone who cares this much for a Nighlok is one of them. You are a Nighlok and you're the worst kind too."

"Let's go," Jayden put his hand on Serena's back as he guided her out and closed the door. Dr. Harada ran to the front door and opened it. He shouted to the retreating Rangers.

"You're a Nighlok by choice!"

-Samurai-

Plans had been changed. Mia, Kevin, Mike, Emily, and Mentor were halfway to the doctor's when they got another call from Antonio telling them not to go to the doctor's home. Antonio, Jayden, and Serena had left and were somewhere in the forest.

Fortunately, Mike seemed to know exactly where he was going. He smiled to himself as he led the way.

"You're really getting good at this, Mike," Kevin complimented. He had seen major improvements in Mike's Samurai training, but lately it was really starting to kick into overdrive.

"The forest is my turf," Mike said, "I've really learned to embrace it. You'd be amazed at what the trees can tell you."

"You're a leaf whisperer?" Mia asked with a small laugh. Mike turned around to look at her.

"I wouldn't be talking," he said, "Your power is blowing people and Nighlok."

"There's a mental image I don't want in my head," Emily frowned and took a few steps away from Kevin and Mia.

"Your powers are all very extraordinary," Mentor Ji said with a smile. "When used correctly, there are no limits to what you can do."

"Over there," Mike pointed beyond a few more trees and Emily sprinted ahead, followed closely by the others. They found Serena, Antonio, and Jayden sitting in the dirt. Emily knelt down in front of her sister. She looked down at Terran.

"How is he?"

"He cried himself to sleep," Serena said and passed Terran off to his aunt. She didn't want to leave him, but she had to let him go. She couldn't hold him anymore. "Dr. Harada is useless."

"We tried to warn you," Antonio sighed and with a shake of his head he looked up to Mentor, "I don't care what he did for the other teams. The man's an ass."

"He didn't help at all?" Emily asked.

"No. He just kept calling a Nighlok. He suggested we just kill him," Antonio answered. Emily hugged her nephew a little closer. Even though he was a Nighlok, she could never imagine losing him. She, and all the others, would do everything for him in hopes that he could be different. If there could be some evil humans, there could be good Nighlok.

Serena looked to her sister pleadingly, "He's warm, for a human at least, and he won't settle. I've tried everything. I've tried over and over again. He needs something."

Emily nodded her head and looked down at Terran. Back when her sister had been sick, she used to be able to sense – for lack of a better word – what Serena needed when she couldn't ask for it herself. It had taken a while, but she had figured out Serena's signals, even before Serena had. The way her older sister was looking at her now, it seemed she was hoping Emily still had that ability.

But Emily shook her head and sighed, "We'll figure something out."

"Has he gone Nighlok at all?" Mike asked, knowing Terran would transform whenever he was scared or upset.

Serena looked up, a strange and curious look on her face, "Now that I think about it… he hasn't."

"Maybe it's got something to do with that," Mia said. "I think the doctor has a point. Terran is a Nighlok."

"I know, I know," Serena sighed. "I just wish…"

"We don't need him," Mentor suggested. "One thing Dr. Harada has never done is face the Nighlok himself. He's only ever studied them from books and dead bodies that have been brought back to him."

"So?" Mike asked.

"So, who better to understand the Nighlok than the people who have been figuring them out for more than a year? To defeat a Nighlok, you need to understand his strengths, his weakness, and how he works. Dr. Harada does the same work."

"We'll figure this out," Emily assured Serena and the two sisters got to their feet. Emily held Terran in one arm and rubbed her sister's back with the other. Serena nodded.

Jayden and Antonio helped themselves up, "So we know two things about what's up with Terran," Jayden said, "He's obviously not feeling well, and he's not transforming."

"It's something to work off of," Antonio said.


	9. Harada's Notes

It was the middle of the night and Terran's screams were as loud as ever. A small part of Serena felt bad for keeping everyone else in the house awake due to Terran's cries, but above all she just wanted answers for her son.

He was screaming and screaming and he wouldn't stop. The tears were streaming down his face like powerful rivers. Normally just his mother's touch could get him to calm down, but even that wouldn't work. Terran was fussy, he was in a horrible mood, and he wasn't feeling well.

Serena could understand how frustrating this was for him. Many times she had had trouble speaking during her illness and had been unable to communicate with her parents and her sister when she needed something. It was hard and it was a terrible feeling.

And a horrible feeling to be on the other end as well. Serena wanted to help. She kept telling Terran she was trying all she could but she had no idea if he understood her.

"Why wouldn't the doctor help?" Emily asked, unable to sleep because of Terran. "He could figure out something, right?"

"He could have at least tried," Serena nodded her head. She rocked Terran back and forth. By now she was just hoping he would tire himself out so everyone could get a couple of hours of sleep at least, but he didn't seem ready to pass out any time soon. If anything, it looked like he could go for another couple of hours.

"He hates the Nighlok…"

"He hates anything that has to do with the Nighlok," Serena said. She looked to Emily, "He called me a Nighlok. The worst kind too."

"But you're not a Nighlok."

"I fell in love with one and gave birth to one," Serena shrugged, "I'm about as Nighlok as a human can get."

Emily sighed loudly, "More and more people are giving me a reason to hate them. I used to think Abby was the worst person in the world. Now, she seems pleasant."

Serena nodded sadly, "Welcome to adulthood, Emily."

There was a knock on their door and Serena went to open it. She saw Mia standing there with a book in her hand.

"Anything?" Serena asked. She hated keeping the house up, but she knew they wouldn't sleep with Terran's screaming so she had asked Mia to skim through the book to look for any possible information on Nighlok.

Mia shook her head sadly, "Just tales and information on already existing Nighlok. Nothing about Nighlok babies."

"Dr. Harada would probably have something," Emily muttered and then suddenly perked up. Before her sisters could ask, she raced out the door, nearly knocking Mia over on her way out.

"Mike! Mike!" she cried as she raced down the hallway to his room. "Mike! Are you awake?"

She ran right into his room without knocking and found him sitting up on the bed reading a book. He was the closest thing Terran had to a father, and he was living up the role quite well. He hadn't been asked to do any readings or research. He had volunteered himself. Since coming home, he hadn't even tried to get a moment of shut eye. All his time was dedicated to helping Terran.

"What's up, Em?" he asked as he barely looked up from the book. Emily pulled on his arm.

"C'mon! You said you wanted to come with me."

"Where?"

"We're going to steal some books."

Mike pulled his arm right out of Emily's grip and glared at her, "Am I really rubbing off on you that much? Emily, stealing's…"

"We're stealing from Dr. Harada."

"Stealing from that old bastard is perfectly acceptable," Mike nodded his head and found himself leading the way out, "What are we looking for."

"Dr. Harada can't possibly remember everything. He's got to have notes and stuff written down. Everything he knows has to be somewhere."

Mike stopped at the door and bowed slightly as he gestured for Emily to step out first, "Lead the way, partner."

-Samurai-

"Still no Nighlok?" Antonio asked. He felt like it was his turn to check up on Terran. Even though he was sleep deprived, it didn't feel right ignoring Terran's screams for too long. He stepped into Serena's room and saw his nephew was still in his human form. "That's got to be a good sign at least, right?"

Serena shook her head and sat down on her bed, "I don't know…"

"Here," Antonio held his arms out, "Let me take him for a bit."

Serena refused but Antonio wouldn't take no for an answer. He took Terran from the worried mother and started to rock him. Terran's screams didn't calm in the slightest, in fact, they seemed to be worse, but at least he was Antonio's problem for a few minutes and not Serena's.

"I started a bath," Jayden said as he walked in, "It's perfect for Terran. Maybe it will calm him down a little bit."

Serena's chin quivered. She was ready to try anything. She was about to get up to take Terran back when Antonio moved away.

"Jayden and I can bathe him," he said. "You can close your eyes for a few minutes."

"But…"

"We'll give him back soon" Antonio smiled, "Promise."

-Samurai-

Mike boosted Emily up through the window that Dr. Harada had fortunately left unlocked. It was too high for any regular person to reach, but with a boost, Emily could make it in with ease.

Near-ease, Mike realised when he heard a thump on the other side of the wall. He waited outside for a few moments before the front door opened and Emily let him in.

"The doctor's sleeping," Emily whispered, "so we've got to be quite."

"Quiet is my middle name," Mike smirked. Emily rolled her eyes. Mike was anything but quiet.

"Should we leaf through the books?" Emily asked, "Or just take them all?"

"Harada will know something's up if we take them all," Mike said, "Just find one that talks about the Nighlok. We know what human babies need."

Emily started to grab a few books off the shelves and then realised it was too dark for her to read properly. She groaned and dumped the books on the floor, "I can't do this."

"Keep a look out, then," Mike instructed her, "I'll look for the books we need."

Emily nodded and raced over to Dr. Harada's bedroom. She prayed he was a heavy sleeper. He didn't look like he could put up much of a fight, but he had been on his own for a long time in the middle of the forest and he was either very capable of fending off intruders or very stupid because of the empty window. Emily hoped the for the latter but never wanted to have to find out.

Mike tore book after book off the shelf. None of them seemed to hold exactly what he needed. Finally, he saw a small book and read the cover.

"Nighlok Baby: A Monster's Early Years?" he frowned and opened the book to the first page. He gasped. This was everything Dr. Harada knew about Terran. All the notes from when he tried and failed to help Serena when she was suffering during her pregnancy, and all the way up until earlier that day when Serena demanded he try to help. "How did he get this?" Mike asked himself and tucked the book in his jacket. He ran over to Emily and grabbed her arm.

"We've got what we need," he said, "C'mon."

"Already?" Emily asked and then decided it was best not to question it. She took off after Mike, sprinting out of the doctor's house and back home.

-Samurai-

Jayden and Antonio were actually surprised to see the bath had settled Terran down. He was still fussy, but he was no longer screaming. By the time they pulled him out of the water, dried him off, and had him dressed and wrapped up comfortably in his blanket, Terran was close to sleep. As they passed him back to Serena, they saw the look in her eyes. It looked like she thought they had done a miracle.

She hugged her son close to her chest and laid down in her bed, "Thank you," she whispered.

"He just needed a little relaxation," Antonio smiled. "He's still a grumpy little guy, but at least the house can sleep."

Serena nodded. Her own eyes were starting to feel very heavy. She rested her son against her chest and watched as he drifted off to sleep. Antonio and Jayden stuck around. Not long after Terran was out, so was Serena.

"That's cute," Jayden whispered.

Antonio couldn't help but agree with a nod of his head, "You can go to bed. I'll keep an eye on Terran…"

"You go," Jayden said. "I've still got a bit of energy left in me."

"Are you sure?"

"Go," Jayden insisted.

Antonio smiled and headed out the door, already half asleep. Jayden took a seat at Serena's desk and kept an eye on Terran to make sure he was safe with Serena in the big bed. He was also ready to snatch Terran up quickly if the boy started to fuss so Serena could get a little extra sleep.

Just as he was starting to drift off, though, he heard the door slide open. He turned around and saw Emily and Mike coming in. They were panting loudly, like they had just run a marathon.

"Where have you two been?" he asked.

Mike didn't say a word. He walked over to the desk and slapped the book down, "Harada's a jackass."

"I know but…"

"He knows what's wrong with Terran," Mike kept his voice low but his body language told Jayden he wanted nothing more than to scream. "He figured out this was going to happen a couple of weeks ago and he won't help."

"What?"

"Dr. Harada's got all this information on Terran," Emily said and Jayden noticed there were visible tear stains on her cheek. Emily pointed to the book. "He knows Terran's weight. He knows when and how he was born. He even knows Terran's got a birthmark!"

"He had been known to check in on the former Rangers from time to time," Jayden nodded his head. "When I was a kid, I would sometimes see signs that he had been around. He never gets close to the house, because if he does the Nighlok will find out about him, but he does have his ways."

"So there's thing creepy old man keeping tabs on us?"

"He did that with the former Rangers, but not with us. He taught Ji all he needed to know. We were only to go to him for emergencies."

"Well, he's been spying on Terran," Mike growled, "That dirty, rotten, lying, son of a bitch knew Terran was going to get sick and he didn't say anything!"

"We don't need Harada," Jayden said and he opened the book, "What does this say?"

"Terran's dying," Emily whispered.


	10. To Change What Happens

Kevin's eyes were on the clock. It was four in the morning, but he was anything but tired. He dropped his head in his hands and let out a very loud sigh. Then he looked up at Emily and held out his hand, "Let me read it."

Emily passed Dr. Harada's notebook to Kevin. It was already open to the page he needed and Kevin read it very quickly. He still couldn't believe it. He read it again, and again, and again.

"I don't get it," he said, "I just… I don't get it."

"Dekker and Dayu can live in the human world without suffering consequences," Mia said, "Why can't Terran?"

"He's a growing Nighlok," Jayden said softly. "We need to nurture both his lives."

"In other words, unless we get Terran down to the Sanzu River he's going to die?" Antonio asked. He shook his head and crossed his arms over his chest, "This isn't fair!"

"Shh," Mike hushed the gold Ranger and looked down the hallway. No one had the heart to wake Serena up just yet. They were all hoping they could maybe find a magic cure and Serena would never have to know her son was dying.

"Sanzu Water feeds the Nighlok," Jayden said. "They need it just like we humans need our water. They dry up when they're away for too long, we get dehydrated."

"But what about Dayu and Dekker?" Mike frowned. "I don't know about Dayu, but Dekker stayed in our world for days. Months, even. If he can live like a human, despite the fact that he's a Nighlok, why can't Terran?"

"Dekker's not growing," Mia said and looked up, showing the others an expression that told them she was figuring something out. "Dekker's been a twenty-something for centuries. Nighlok don't grow. They don't age."

"What does that have to do with Terran?" Antonio asked. "When he's twenty he'll stop growing?"

"Jayden had it. Terran's a growing Nighlok. He's only a quarter Nighlok but… wait…"

Mia jumped out of her seat and suddenly ran out of the room. The boys and Emily looked around at each other curiously. Antonio rubbed the back of his neck.

"I think she's figured something out."

Mia came back into the room with and a scale she had seen Kevin use once before. She set it down on the table and pulled out three marbles from her pocket.

"Terran's only a quarter Nighlok. Dekker was a half."

"So?" Mike asked.

Mia put two marbles on one side of the scale and the two others on the other side. The scale was perfectly even.

"Both sides are even. Dekker's human side kept him from being a prisoner in the Netherworld and it kept him from becoming dependant on the Sanzu River to survive. His Nighlok side made him stronger than a regular human and has been keeping him alive for centuries."

Mia plucked one marble off one side of the scale, "But Terran's got half his genes from Serena and the other half from Dekker. Terran's not a half Nighlok, he's a quarter. Terran's mostly human."

"So?" Mike asked again.

"So the power isn't evenly distributed," Mia set the marble down on the other side of the scale, tipping the balance. "Terran's more of a human. Nighlok don't age, humans do, and when babies grow they need nutrition. What would happen if we took Terran off breast milk?"

"He would get sick," Jayden said, "And maybe he would die."

Mia smirked, "Terran's Nighlok side is largely influenced by his human side because, technically, his human side is stronger. It's not balanced. Terran's a growing baby boy and we need to give him all the nutrition he needs."

"But how does that explain why he needs Sanzu Water and Dekker doesn't?" Mike asked. "That part doesn't make sense."

"Yes, it does," Mia smiled, "His human side is growing and his Nighlok side being forced to grow along with it. He's a growing Nighlok."

"Yeah, but…"

"In the womb, Dr. Harada said Terran adapt to his human environment. He poisoned Serena with Sanzu Water so he could grow."

"Yeah, so…"

"When Serena gave birth to Terran, the Nighlok splashed her with Sanzu Water. It made Terran grow and it made him strong. A baby outside of the womb isn't all that different from a baby inside of the womb. Terran still needs the Sanzu Water. He doesn't need it as much as the regular Nighlok, but he needs it."

"Because his human side is getting his Nighlok side to grow?" Antonio asked.

Mia nodded, "His human side is calling the shots."

"You're a genius, Mia," Jayden said with a big smile as it all sunk in.

Emily, though, still wasn't happy. While the others were congratulating Mia, she just sat on her stool. It didn't matter why Terran needed Sanzu Water to live. All that mattered was getting Terran what he needed. Knowing the why wasn't going to give her the how.

"We're still right where we started," she said, "We can't go to the Sanzu River. Just traveling through the gaps made Serena sick. Actually going down there…?"

"The water's seeping into our world," Antonio smiled, "I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I'm actually kind of glad the River's rising."

"I've covered up all the pools," Emily reminded the gold Ranger. She got up from her stool, "And so far, no new ones have appeared. By the time we find one with enough water to feed Terran, it might be too late."

"Emily…"

"I'm going to bed," Emily whispered and left.

Kevin waited until Emily was gone before he spoke up, "Can't she just uncover one? That construction site was full of pools…"

"She filled them in with dirt and stone," Jayden said, "Undoing something that's been done takes more symbol power than what was initially used. That's why Mentor always used to tell us to be careful what we did."

"And with how much water she splashed around while dropping the dirt and stones," Antonio sighed. "At best, if we go back there, we might find Sanzu mud. That would make it even harder for Emily and Serena to undo. And it's not like we can feed mud to Terran."

"What about that deep pool?" Mike asked. "The one the spider Nighlok was feeding from."

"It was also filled with dirt and stone," Mia said, "It's probably mostly mud too."

Mike kicked his foot into the table, "Dammit!" he grabbed Harada's notebook from the table and threw it across the room, "Harada knew! Before we covered up the puddles, he knew we were going to need Sanzu Water!"

"Mike, calm down," Kevin said. "We'll figure something else out."

"If Harada had done his job and told us about Terran, like he should have done, we could have collected enough water from the puddles to feed Terran!" Mike shouted. "Now we're screwed!"

Jayden cast a quick glance back over to the bookshelf. Mia and Kevin were too busy trying to calm down Mike to notice, but Antonio had seen it.

"You know something," he said. "Jay, what do you know?"

"We're not allowed to use it," Jayden shook his head. "If we had been, I would have already used it…"

"Used what?" Mike asked and he gave Jayden a hard look. "Jay, if you know anything…"

"No, Mike. I don't."

"You know something," Mike insisted. He walked over to Jayden, "Dude, whatever rule Mentor has in place needs to be broken. A baby's dying."

"I know, Mike…"

"So then what do you know?"

Jayden gave Mike a defeated look before he got up and walked over to the bookshelf. He pulled out a scroll and opened it, revealing a kanji.

"What?" Mike asked, unable to read it.

"Time," Kevin said. "It says time."

"I found this a few years ago," Jayden said, "And when I figured out what it was for I wanted to use it. If I had known that final battle was going to kill my dad… I would have done something. Mentor Ji found me right before I was going to try it out. He said it was too dangerous and what happened needed to happen."

"If your dad hadn't of used that symbol, Xandred could have won," Mia said. "Jayden, I know it hurts, but…"

"That's what Mentor said to me," Jayden nodded his head, "He said nothing I could have done would have changed what my father decided to do. He took it from my hand and made me promise I would never use it."

"And you haven't?"

"Mentor was right. You shouldn't change the past."

"But we can change the future," Mike said. "If I can go back to before Emily covered up the pools… I can get some water and bring it back. Emily will still cover them all up, and if I stay out of sight, it'll be like it never happened."

"No," Jayden closed the scroll and set it back on the bookshelf, "Anytime you go into the past you risk changing the present. What happened, happened for a reason…"

"Dude, your dad died a hero!" Mike shouted. "It sucks he's gone. I'm sure he was a great guy. But get over it!"

"Michael!"

"Your dad took a huge risk to protect us," Mike screamed and pointed around the room. "Your dad risked everything to protect the next generation. We need to do the same. Terran needs this."

Jayden shook his head, "Do not touch the scroll," he said and started to head off, "I'm going to bed."

"Jayden…"

"No one touch the scroll," Jayden repeated before he was gone.

Mike waited until he heard Jayden's bedroom door close and then he snatched the scroll off the shelf. Kevin grabbed his arm.

"What are you doing?" he asked, "You heard Jayden, he said…"

"Do you really think I'm going to listen to Jayden?" Mike scoffed and rolled his eyes, "It's like you don't know me."

"Shouldn't you discuss this with Emily?" Antonio suggested, "After everything you two have…"

"That's the beauty of going back in time," Mike smirked, "I can come right back here. No one will have to know I left."

"Mike…"

"I'll be back in a second," Mike said. He gave the scroll one last look before he tucked it in his pocket and started to trace it, exactly how he remembered it. The symbol opened up, creating a portal. Mike smirked, "Literally. I'll pop out from right behind you."

"Mike, wait!" Kevin called but it was too late. Mike jumped in and he was gone.

Everyone immediately turned around as the seconds ticked by. They waited for Mike to come back, like he promised. When five minutes passed, Kevin gulped.

"He's not back…"

-Samurai-

Mike felt like his entire body was on fire, but it was soon cooled as water was splashed all over him. He sat up and wiped his face with his hands, clearing the water from his eyes.

"What gives?" he shouted and looked up. Mia and Kevin were standing over him and they did not look happy.

But there was something else about them. Mike couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, but there was something different. They seemed different.

Kevin reached out and pulled Mike, rather harshly, up to his feet, "You fucking idiot!"

"Dude! What gives?"

"Just come with us," Mia whispered and she turned and started to walk off. Mike felt Kevin pulling him along.

"Hey! Hey! What's going on?"

"You never came back," Kevin growled. Mike looked to him curiously.

"What?"

Kevin stopped walking and shoved Mike backwards. The green Ranger fell and landed on his back.

"Kevin!" Mia shouted and grabbed his arm. "Kevin, calm down!"

"Calm down?" Kevin turned to Mia and then he looked back at Mike, "This son of a bitch promised he would be back in a second, and then disappears for fifteen years!"

"It's not his fault…"

"I told you to listen to Jayden…"

"Jayden wanted him…"

"Shut up, Mia," Kevin snapped. He pulled out of her grip and stormed off, "I'm going home."

Mia sighed loudly and looked down at Mike. She shook her head and then reached out her hand to help Mike up.

"Sorry about him."

"Same old Kevin, right?" Mike shrugged.

"It's not," Mia answered. "Didn't you hear him?"

Mike shrugged his shoulders, "Kind of, but to be honest, I never really listen to what he says, it's usually just…"

"Will you listen to me?" Mia asked. Mike looked to her curiously but nodded his head.

"Yeah."

"You're standing in the common room."

Mike looked down at his feet, "What?"

"Fourteen years ago, Xandred came into our world and destroyed everything in his path. The Shiba House... was the first thing to go."

Mike looked around. He did see a lot of trees and the Shiba House had been right in the middle of a forest, but Mia's words made no sense.

"What?"

"You're fifteen years in the future, Mike," Mia said. "When you jumped through that time portal, you didn't go back a few days. You jumped ahead fifteen years."

"What?" Mike's eyes widened slowly in shock.

"Just, come home," Mia took his hand gently, "I'll explain everything there."


	11. Where They Will Be

Mia handed Mike some tea and took a seat across from him at her kitchen table. Mike had been surprised when Mia took him back home, to her house; the house that she and Kevin owned. He knew he was fifteen years in the future, but he didn't want to believe it. He had wanted to go back, only a couple of days, but now he found himself in the future. He still had the time symbol in his pocket and knew he could recreate it whenever he wanted, but he wasn't so sure what he wanted to do. If the symbol had already led him astray once, it could do it again.

Mia looked to Mike, "I can start from the beginning, if you want…"

"Let me guess," Mike muttered, "I just disappeared. This is the first time anyone's seen me in fifteen years?"

Mia nodded sadly, "Yes."

"And everything is different?" Mike asked. "Xandred came into our world and he was defeated?"

"We only just survived the attack," Mia nodded, "but I can't tell you too much."

"How did we win?"

"Michael," Mia lowered her voice, "we need to focus on what's important."

"Saving the world is pretty important," Mike rolled his eyes.

Mia shook her head, "Michael, the world has already been saved."

"Yeah but…"

"I thought you would ask about Terran," Mia said, "He's the reason you're here."

Mike looked across the table with his eyes wide. In all his confusion about where – or rather, when – he was, he had forgotten about why he was here.

"Terran… what happened to him?"

Mia got up from her chair and Mike's stomach turned as he prepared himself for the bad news. If he was fifteen years in the future, that meant he never got the Sanzu Water and it was likely Terran was dead.

The pink Ranger or former at this point, walked to her fridge and pulled off a picture Mike hadn't even noticed yet. She walked back to the table and took her seat before setting the picture down.

"That's Terran at his eighth grade graduation," Mia said with a smile. "I was right. A growing Nighlok needs his nutrition. A few days after you left a new pool of Sanzu Water appeared. We filled up bottles until we dried the pool out and stocked up for Terran. We feed him and almost instantly his crying and fussing stopped. He was the baby we all knew."

"This is Terran?" Mike held the picture in his hands. The child looked almost exactly like how Mike pictured he would. A perfect blend of Serena and Dekker. He was a handsome young man, and he seemed so happy in the picture.

"He's smart, he's talented, he's got a lot of friends… and he's a bit of a klutz at times," Mia laughed. "He makes us all proud each and every day."

"And he's fine?"

"Occasionally he still needs some Sanzu Water," Mia said, "but as he gets older, it's less and less. He's down to a couple of glasses a year, and that's only if he's starting to feel weak."

"Serena must be very proud," Mike smiled.

Mia suddenly snatched the picture out of Mike's hands, "Yeah. I'm sure she is."

Mike looked up as Mia walked back to the fridge and put Terran's picture back where it belonged. Mike got up and followed her. He noticed two more pictures of children. A smile graced his lips.

"Yours?" he asked as he pointed to the pictures. Mia looked and then nodded her head.

"Twins," she smiled.

"How did it happen?" Mike asked, "I mean, if it's not to…"

"Kevin and I got married in the spring after we defeated Xandred," Mia smiled at the memory, "It was everything I ever wanted. A couple of years later, I found out I was expecting."

"I wish I could have seen Kevin's face," Mike smirked.

"He fainted during the ultrasound when we were told it was twins. He wasn't sure he could handle it, but he's been a great father."

"Wow," Mike said as a thought hit him, "Poor kids have Kevin as a dad."

"Jacob's a lot like you," Mia pulled her son's picture off the fridge and gave it to Mike. "Kevin hates and loves that."

"Living with me must not be easy," Mike smiled, "I bet he was thrilled when he realized me being gone meant he wouldn't have to nag me about getting to training on time…"

"You broke his heart," Mia whispered. "He's missed you every day. We all have."

"Seriously?"

"Let's just say the last time we ate pizza was when you were sitting with us at the Shiba House. Jacob doesn't even own any video games, and before you say anything, it's not because Kevin's still got that stick shoved up his ass."

"Because I used to play?"

Mia nodded her head, "You drove him crazy, but you were… you still are his best friend."

Mike smiled sadly and shoved his hands in his pockets, "That's touching and kind of depressing."

Mia took Mike's arm, "I've got something that will cheer you up. But you need to keep it a secret."

"From who?"

"I'm sure you want to get home someday," Mia said. "I don't know how we're going to do it, but we'll get you back. We need you back."

"You do?"

"Just promise you'll keep this to yourself," Mia insisted as she walked Mike to the living room and pulled out a photo album from a box.

Mike nodded his head, "Alright, sure."

Mia looked to Mike one more time and then hesitantly opened the book. She flipped through the pictures before finding the one she wanted to show Mike. She turned the book over and Mike found himself staring at a picture of Jayden and Antonio in tuxedoes.

"Is this at your wedding?"

"Not mine."

"Serena and James?"

"Nope."

"Emily's?"

"Nope?"

"Jayden's?"

"Yep. Guess who he married?"

"Amanda?"

"Nope."

"Uh…"

Mia pointed to Antonio. Mike's jaw dropped and he looked like he was about to pass out. Mia walked him over to the couch and had him take a seat.

"Jayden figured out he was bisexual years ago. He came out…"

"After I disappeared?"

Mia nodded, "He fell in love with Antonio and then found himself needing to choose between him and Amanda. He said he loved Antonio more. Antonio was thrilled, and Amanda eventually came around. She was Jayden's best man."

"Wait, what?"

Mia flipped to another page in the book and then showed Mike a picture of a little boy, "And this is Jayden and Antonio's son. We're not sure who's the father, but Amanda's the mother. Jayden and Antonio have been raising him and Amanda stops by to visit at least once a month. But she's got her own family now."

"I think my head is going to explode," Mike said. He looked at the picture of the boy, "So Antonio and Jayden… they… they…"

"It's a lot to take it," Mia chuckled, "but it's good news. Jayden and Antonio are as happy as I've ever seen them, and they love Mark so much. They're a real family."

"They're really in love?"

"Yep."

"Wow. So you and Kevin… but that was obvious, and Jayden and Antonio? What did Mentor say about that?"

"We don't know," Mia shrugged her shoulders, "Mentor was in the Shiba House when it came down."

"What happened to good news?" Mike frowned. "Mia…"

"You asked," Mia shrugged her shoulders. "We've moved on. It's sad and we all miss him but… it's okay. Every once in a while Kevin and I go back to the Shiba House and we say a few words to him. That's how we found you."

"So you can tell me Mentor's dead, but you can't tell me how we defeated Xandred?"

Mia shook her head and closed the book, "If I did… just, trust me, Mike. I shouldn't tell you. You need to figure it out for yourself."

Mia got up from the couch and put the photo album away. Mike gave her a look before following her.

"What about the others? Serena, did she marry James?"

Mia grabbed her jacket and some keys from a bowl by the front door.

"C'mon."

"What?"

"I'm going to show you what happened to the others."

Mike nodded and followed Mia into a van. He had no idea where she was taking him; he couldn't recognise the city anymore. Everything had changed. Mike felt like he was somewhere else entirely.

"It's so… different."

"Xandred caused a lot of damage," Mia answered. "The city needed to be rebuilt. There's very little left of what you remember."

Mike stared out the window for the rest of the drive until he noticed Mia pulling into a cemetery and his heart stopped. He looked her with a terrified expression. Mia didn't say a word. She just let a tear slip down her cheek.

She parked the car and got out. Mike followed and raced to the other side. He grabbed her arm.

"Mia…"

Ma still didn't say a word as she guided Mike to where she wanted him to be. She pointed to the tombstone. Mike read it and fell to his knees.

"But you said…"

"I'm not religious," Mia interrupted, "but believing she's in a better place and looking down on us is the only thing that helps me move on."

Mike touched the tombstone, "How…?"

"Emy just wasn't the same after you disappeared," Mia shrugged. "We had all thought we'd seen her at her lowest before… but it was bad. Really bad."

"I don't get it."

"She got a little reckless. Serena kept trying to get through to her, we all did, but nothing we said ever sunk in. Every time we took her into battle, we were worried she would do something stupid. She didn't care about living anymore. She was trying to get herself killed. She was actively trying to die. She took every hit for us. She jumped in front of every attack. She saved our lives a few times, I'm sure… but… she scared us. Then came Xandred."

"What happened?" Mike demanded and his hands balled up into fists.

Mia knelt down beside him, "Emily did her usual. She fought like she had nothing to lose. She fought to kill and to be killed. She took on Xandred by herself but she wasn't strong enough. Serena just… she did what any good sister would do."

"She saved Emily?"

"Xandred took her life instead of Emily's, and then he spared Emily. He could have killed her, but he wanted her misery to give him more strength. It did just the opposite. Emily was pissed, but she was suddenly back. She helped us stop Xandred and we defeated him, for good."

Mia gave Mike a quick pat on the back before getting up. She brushed the dirt from her hands and pants and started to the car.

"I can give you a minute," she said.

Mike touched the tombstone and then got up, "It's fine. I'm fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Where's Emily?" Mike asked. Mia nodded her head and gestured to her car.

"I thought you would never ask."

-Samurai-

Just like with the rest of the city, Mike couldn't recognise where Emily live, but not because he didn't know the neighbourhood, but because it wasn't what he imagined at all. He always saw Emily (and himself) moving back out to the country, or at least living somewhere outside the busy city. But Mia had taken him back to the suburbs and pulled into the driveway of a little house. She parked the car and then turned to Mike.

"Stay here," she told him. "Terran should be coming home from school."

"Home?"

"Someone had to adopt him," Mia nodded her head. "Emily took him without hesitation. She's raised him as her own. Serena would be proud of both of them."

Mike gave a smile and then heard the familiar sound of a school bus and he saw one stopping at the end of the driveway as a young man, the same young man as the one in Mia's pictures, came out.

"Terran," Mike smiled.

"Yep," Mia nodded and then got out of the car.

Mike got as close to the window as he could to watch Mia and Terran. He couldn't hear what was being said but he didn't really care to hear either. He was amazed by Terran. The little baby from only a few hours before was now suddenly a man.

He saw Mia ruffle Terran's hair before she gently pushed him towards the house. Terran ran inside and disappeared for a few moments before suddenly running back outside. Shortly after, Emily came out.

Mike pulled away from the window. It had only been a few hours since he had seen her, but it had been fifteen years for her. He couldn't imagine how she would react if she saw him.

Mia pulled Emily in for a hug and the two women spoke for a bit. Mike wanted to jump out of the car and announce his arrival, but Mia kept shooting glances his way, telling him to stay in the car. So Mike settled with simply watching and admiring. Despite Mia's story back at the cemetery, it seemed Emily had done well for herself. Mike was proud.

Then he noticed something shining on her hand; her left hand, more specifically. He squinted his eyes just a bit until he could make out what it was. She was wearing a ring – an engagement ring.

"He better be a good man," Mike muttered. He was upset by what he saw, but he had to remind himself it had been fifteen years. He couldn't expect Emily to wait around forever. Eventually she would have to settle down with someone else. Someone who could look after her like he would have done.

Another hug between Mia and Emily was exchanged before Emily led Terran back into the house and Mia started coming back to the car. She got in and looked to Mike.

"I haven't told her," she said. "If we don't get you home soon I'll introduce you to her and everyone else. I promise."

"Why not now?" Mike asked.

"I don't think she's ready," Mia shook her head. "She really loves you, Mike."

Mike nodded his head and then sighed loudly, "Does her fiancé or husband or whatever… does he knew about me?"

Mia chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah. He knows you pretty well, actually."

Mike frowned, "What?"

"Did you see the ring?"

"Yeah. Why else would I ask?"

"Good," Mia smiled and buckled up her seat belt. She was about to start the van when Mike grabbed her wrist.

"Mia, I want to know. I'm not mad, I just…"

"Mike, that's your ring," Mia smiled, "Emily's been with no one but you."


	12. Mike and Kevin's Talk

Even with the food placed right under his nose, Mike didn't feel much like eating. After Mia had shown him Emily she took him back home. She served him an early dinner while he picked up the photo album she kept in the living room. He flipped through the pages sadly.

He couldn't imagine being gone for fifteen years. He couldn't imagine being away from his friends for a week, or even just a day. Hell, he had been on the couch for a few hours and that already felt like a really, really long time.

But fifteen years was a long time.

"You're not hungry, huh?" Mia asked when she walked in and saw Mike's food hadn't been touched. "My cooking hasn't reverted back to horrible, has it?"

Mike shook his head, "It's not that. It smells great."

Mia sighed and sat down next to him. She pointed to the picture he was staring at.

"We've found a way to be happy," she said, "but not a day goes by where we don't miss you. Emily especially."

"She wears my ring."

"If guys had their way, I'm sure Emily would be married with kids by now," Mia nodded her head, "A lot of guys have asked her out. We've even tried setting her up on dates. She's always refused. Whenever a guy approached her she shows them the ring and she tells them she's waiting for you. I was serious, Mike, Emily's been with no one but you. And it's not for a lack of trying on everyone else's part."

"When you told her," Mike said, "How did she take it?"

Mia took a deep breath, "You heard. She got depressed and…"

"I know, I know," Mike nodded his head, "But she must have been pissed when you told her I had disappeared."

"She waited for days," Mia answered, "Hoping you were just stuck. Stuck in time traffic, she would say. But the longed she waited, the further she sunk. Eventually we just… we decided to call it. That's when she really lost it. We thought it would give her closure but it never did. She was upset. Kevin went to talk to her one day and she screamed him ear off. She called you a liar because you left her."

"I promised I never would…"

"She found a way to bounce back. Serena's death hit her pretty hard too, once we defeated Xandred. She blamed herself, she blamed you. She made it through all the stages of grief eventually. Terran helped her out quite a bit. She knew she needed to be strong for him. We got our Emily back, but I don't think she's ever really gotten over what happened. I think she's still waiting for you."

"Fifteen years is a long time to wait."

"That's why we need to get you back home," a voice announced from the doorway as Kevin walked in with the twins. They stared at Mike curiously. They obviously didn't recognise him and wanted to know why there was a stranger sitting on their couch. Kevin, though, quickly shooed them upstairs.

"Get ready for training," he said, "Your aunt will be here any minute to pick you two up."

"Aunt?" Mike frowned. Mia and Kevin didn't have any siblings so there was only one person he could think of who would be called aunt, "Emily's coming here?"

"Someone else," Mia shook her head, "You'll meet her eventually."

"We'll see what happens," Mike said, "If I go back, the future's going to be different."

Mia looked over to Kevin and both of them nodded their heads, "Yeah, right."

"I'll make sure this doesn't happen," Mike promised both of them. "Fifteen years will be different than it is now. We'll be happy. Really happy."

"But first we need to figure out a way to get you home," Kevin said just as the phone started to ring. He looked to Mia and nodded his head in the direction of the kitchen. Mia got up to answer the phone.

When she was gone, Kevin took her seat on the couch. He stared down at his hands in his lap before he turned to Mike.

"Promise you won't laugh," he said.

Mike nodded, "Uh, okay…"

"Can I just say… look, Mike, you know how I used to give you a hard time and stuff. You know how we used to fight about… well…"

"It's kind of still in the present for me, dude," Mike nodded his head and he gave Kevin a pat on the shoulder, "Look, we're friends. Brothers, even. We fight, but I know you care…"

"A lot," Kevin looked at Mike, "You're my best friend. Before you I thought I had some really good friends but they all… after we defeated Xandred, I couldn't find our friendship again with anyone else. I tried to replace you, I tried to find someone like you but… I couldn't. So, all those times I hassled you or nagged or, you know, had that stick up my ass… I'm sorry."

"Dude, it's fine," Mike said. "I get it, alright. That's what we do."

"Next time we see each other, back in your time, when I get on your nerves, or when you think that stick is shoved so far up my ass it's coming out of my nose, remember, I'm doing it because I care…"

"Kevin," Mike laughed and then he wrapped his arm around his friend, "Dude, I love you too, okay?"

Kevin smiled and wrapped both arms around Mike in a tight hug, "Thanks, Mike."

Mike pulled away from his best friend, "So, are you still good with symbols? Think you can find a way to get me home?"

Kevin shook his head and then suddenly he had an idea. He sprung up out from his seat and raced to his bookshelf. Mike laughed to himself. Of course Kevin and Mia would have books on the Samurai. They wouldn't be Kevin and Mia if they didn't.

"You might be drained after using it," Kevin said as he grabbed a book and set it down. He pointed to a symbol, "It says home. It's hard to use just to get from one place to another. Travelling through time… that'll be a bitch."

"More painful and exhausting than me never coming home?" Mike asked, "I'll do it."

Kevin smiled, "Make sure you trace the strokes in the right order. And perfectly. You don't want to fuck this one…"

"Dad," Kevin's son, Jacob, poked his head around the corner, "Why is mom crying?"

Kevin and Mike traded looks before they both ran over to the kitchen. Mike saw their daughter was trying to comfort Mia, who was holding the phone shakily against the side of her face.

"Serena, Jacob, go to your rooms," Kevin ordered his kids. Mike shot Kevin a look.

"Serena?"

"Someone had to do it," Kevin nodded his head and then he sat down next to Mia and pulled her into his arms. Mike watched and then heard whispering behind him. The twins hadn't gone to their rooms.

Suddenly, a horn honked outside.

Kevin pointed to the door, "Kids, go."

"But…"

"Go. Tell your aunt you're staying with her tonight."

"Are you okay, mom?" Serena asked.

Mia nodded her head, "We'll pick you up tomorrow for school. Just go."

The twins left without another word, but it was obvious they were worried for their mother. Mike waited for them to leave the house before he asked what happened.

Mia just got up from her seat, "We have to go."

"Mia, tell us," Kevin said, worried as well. "Who was on the phone?"

"It was Terran," Mia answered, "Frankie stormed his way in."

"Wait, what?" Kevin's tone was suddenly alarmed and he let go of Mia. Mike was still completely lost.

"Who's Frankie?"

Mia raced to the front door and started to grab her jacket, "Remember how I told you Emily turned down every single guy who was interested in taking her out?"

"Yeah?"

"Frankie's the kind of guy who wouldn't give up."

"What?"

"Frankie thinks she's just playing hard to get!" Mia shouted, "Now get in the car or stay here. I really don't give a damn anymore, Michael!"

Mike raced over to the front door as Mia grabbed the keys and unlocked the van. Kevin had joined the two of them in a flash. His eyes looked ready to kill.

-Samurai-

In the present day, Mia took a big breath and reached for Serena and Emily's door. She thought the news would be easier to hear if it came from her. Behind her, Kevin and Antonio were with her for support.

"She's going to be pissed," Antonio whispered, "Maybe we should give him a little more time."

"He said he would be back in a second," Mia said, "It's been hours."

"Maybe she won't notice…"

"We need to do this," Mia said.

"Can't we focus on Terran first?" Kevin heard a scream, louder than the rest. "Mike's obviously not coming back with Sanzu Water. We should just tell Emily we sent him off to look for a pool that may not be on the map yet and we should…

"Lie?" Mia turned to Kevin and then shook her head. "We'll help Terran, but we're not going to lie."

Mia grabbed the handle and slid the door open. She stepped inside the room and saw Emily and Serena were trying to tend to the screaming boy.

"Can I talk to you?" she asked and her eyes fell on Emily.

"I was actually just going to tell Serena about Terran."

"What about him?" Serena frowned. Emily looked to her sister.

"Mike and I stole Dr. Harada's notes…"

"EMILY!"

"Dr. Harada knew Terran was going to get sick," Emily said.

"He's a son of a bitch, Emily. Don't listen to a word…"

"Terran's dying, Serena," Emily whispered. "Dr. Harada knew he would die and he didn't say anything."

"He's a son of a bitch, Emily," tears welled up in Serena's eyes, but the worried mother tried to pretend like she wasn't fazed. Unfortunately, it was obvious to everyone that she was deeply upset by the news.

"Terran needs Sanzu Water," Emily said, "but we can't go to the Netherworld and all the pools that seeped through are covered up. If Dr. Harada told us when he found out, Terran could have…"

"Get out!" Serena suddenly snapped and pointed to the door, "All of you, get out! Dr. Harada's a monster! He's a jackass! I don't care what he says or what he thinks!"

"Serena…"

"Get out, Emily," Serena growled, "Please… just get out."

Emily nodded sadly and got up to leave the room, pulling the others out with her. When they were in the hallway she looked up to them.

"Guys…"

"Emily…"

"Where's Mike?" Emily frowned. She looked further down the hallway. She had been angry when she left her friends, but she hadn't been angry at them. She had been angry with the news she had received. And now that she was a little more rested and a lot more calm about it, she was ready to try looking for a solution. There had to be something she could do to help her nephew, but she wouldn't do it without Mike.

Mia took her little sister's hand, "This is really horrible timing, Emily…"


	13. Terran's Father

In the future, time slowed down for Mike. He had never seen Mia drive so quickly, but she had made it to Emily and Terran's home in what Mike was sure was record time. She jumped out of the car before she even had a chance to stop it completely. Kevin was also out in seconds and he stormed into the house just as a man was trying to get out. The minute the man saw Kevin he tried to run. He slipped past the former blue Ranger but he wasn't fast enough to get by Mia. She tackled him onto the lawn.

"Get off of me!" the man, who Mike assumed was Frankie, shouted as he squirmed under Mia, but the pink Ranger wouldn't let him go. She grabbed his arms and twisted it behind his back.

"What the hell did you do to my sister?" she screamed.

"I just came in to talk, okay?" Frankie answered, "Her son just flipped out."

"He's a smart kid, Frankie."

Frankie struggled but Mia still wouldn't let go. Mike raced over to see if she needed help.

"Mia…"

"I've got this, Mike," Mia said, "Just go help Kevin. If he's running, he's done something."

Mike nodded his head. He didn't need to be told twice. He ran inside the house and almost instantly he found Kevin sitting with Terran in what appeared to be the living room. He walked over.

Kevin was holding an obviously very upset Terran in his arms. He was rocking him and telling him everything was okay and he had done exactly what needed to be done. Mike knelt down in front of the two.

"What happened?" he asked.

Kevin looked to Terran, "This is Mike. He's a friend of mine. He's here to help. You can tell him what happened."

Terran nodded his head, "Frankie's been after my mom for years."

"Mom?" Mike asked and he looked up at Kevin. The blue Ranger nodded his head. Mike let Terran continue.

"He knocked on the door today and… he said he wanted to talk," Terran lifted a shaky hand and pointed across the room. Mike followed and saw a bouquet of flowers dumped on the floor, "He brought those for mom."

"He didn't want to talk, though, did he?"

"Mom told him to back off," Terran nodded, but he insisted. He came inside. We couldn't stop him. He told me to go to my room and he grabbed mom and pulled her into her room. I heard mom screaming so I called my Aunt Mia."

"You did the right thing, kid," Mike smiled and nodded his head. "Where's your mom now?"

"She stopped screaming a while ago. I think she's still in her room. I don't know…"

"Where is her room?"

"Mike, don't," Kevin said.

Terran pointed down the hall, "Third door on the right."

"Mike," Kevin reached out and grabbed Mike's arm, "She's been through enough. I'll…"

"Your wife is outside wrestling with the man who hurt Emily," Mike reminded Kevin. The blue Ranger looked out the window and saw Mia was having a hard time keeping Frankie in the grass. He let go of Mike and the green Ranger raced off.

"Terran, you stay in here, call the cops," Kevin said and he gave Terran his cell phone, "Don't step outside, okay? You're safe in here."

"No," Terran grabbed on tightly to his uncle, "Don't go."

Kevin looked down at his nephew and then nodded, "Do you remember that symbol I showed you?"

Terran nodded his head. He pulled out his Samuraizer.

"Will I have enough energy to do it?"

"I'll help," Kevin said. He wrapped his arm around Terran and walked him to the door, "Make sure you aim right at him."

Kevin helped Terran by showing him which order to trace the strokes and a symbol appeared in the air. Suddenly, the dirt from the ground under Mia and Frankie started to crumble. Mia instantly jumped up and backed away, but Frankie had no idea what was going on. Before he knew it, the earth has swallowed him up, leaving only his head exposed.

"Call the cops now, bud," Kevin said, "Frankie's not getting away this time."

Inside the house, down the hallway, Mike was sure he had found the right door, but he had a hard time opening the door. It wasn't locked, nor was the door blocked; Mike just couldn't bring himself to open it.

It had been less than a day for him, but for Emily it had been fifteen years; fifteen long and painful years since she had seen him; fifteen years since the day he suddenly disappeared from her life without any warning. She was still madly in love with him. She still wore his ring and she was still waiting for him, but Mike knew he wouldn't get the greeting he hoped for.

He summoned up his courage and finally got the door opened. The first thing he noticed was that the room had been trashed. Whatever had happened, whatever Frankie had tried to do, Emily had put up a fight. A strong one, by the looks of it. The blankets were pulled off the bed, the pillows were torn, picture frames had been knocked of dressers, walls and night tables. Drawers had been pulled out; there were clothes scattered everything. Nothing had been left untouched. Everything had been used as either a weapon, or a defensive tool. And in the middle of it all was Emily, curled up in a ball as she rocked back and forth on the ground. When Mike stepped into the room she looked up in horror, thinking Frankie had come back, but the expression changed quickly into a look of pure and utter shock.

"You can scream at me later," Mike said as he knelt down in front of her. He lifted his arm up to touch her but hesitated. Emily just stared at him in disbelief. She knew she had to be dreaming. There was no way he was back. There was no way he was alive. He had been gone for fifteen years. Fifteen years without a sign.

Mike finally set his hand on her cheek. She was covered in bruises and in scars that needed to be checked out. She had blood dripping down from her forehead from a cut that seemed rather painful. He needed to have a look at her.

The minute his skin touched hers, though, she flinched and pulled away. She tried to get up and run but she stumbled and fell. Mike turned around and watched as she tried again to get up and run but she fell again.

She tried again but she couldn't get up. As she pushed with her arms, they started to shake. Eventually they gave up. Emily hit the ground and didn't move an inch after that.

Mike's heart stopped, "Em? Emily!"

He crawled over to her and rolled her onto her back only to find, to his horror, that she had stopped breathing.

"No, no, no," Mike scrambled to his feet. He wanted to help but he didn't know how. He raced to the front door and saw the blue Ranger standing on the lawn beside what seemed to be a head on the ground. Mike didn't have time to look.

"HELP!" he screamed and all eyes turned to him, "She's not breathing!"

Mike could barely remember anything after that. Kevin pushing him out of the way to get into the house, sirens, people asking him if he was okay. Everything was a blur.

The next thing he knew, he was sitting in a hospital waiting room and there was someone next to him. He looked around. Mia was talking with a doctor and from what Mike could see she was visibly upset. Kevin was a little ways away from her with Antonio and Jayden. Mike couldn't remember when they had arrived, but he wasn't surprised to see him.

Suddenly, the person next to him touched his arm, "Are you okay?"

Mike saw Terran. The young man seemed just as worried as he was, which was understandable. Terran considered Emily to be his mother. If the timeline Mia had created for Mike was correct, Terran would be too young to remember Serena. Emily was the only parent he really ever had.

Mike nodded his head, "Yeah, sorry, kid…"

"I'm scared too," Terran breathed, "but the doctor promised me they were going to try everything. Aunt Mia's talking with them now about my mom. She's crying, but I don't think it's the bad kind of crying."

Mike looked over to Mia and saw Terran was right. Mia was upset and her face was soaked with tears, but there was a look of relief on her face.

"I think everything's going to be okay," Terran said and then he lowered his head, "Well, I hope."

Suddenly he turned and looked at Mike, "How do you know my mom?"

"I'm an old friend."

"I'm Terran," the boy held out his hand.

"Mike."

Terran leaned back in his seat after shaking hands with Mike, "My dad's name was Mike. Well, he wasn't really my dad, but my mom's not really my mom, either."

"Really?" Mike asked, pretending like this was news, but listening to the story was better than doing nothing. It was better than worrying. And Mike was slightly intrigued to see Terran's perspective.

"Can you keep a secret?" Terran asked. Mike nodded his head.

"Yeah."

"I'm a quarter Nighlok. That means I'm a monster."

"Yeah, I've heard of those things."

"Nighlok need special water, and I do too. If I don't get it I start to feel weak. Normally I just take a sip of the special water and I feel fine, but if I go too long without it, mom says I'll die."

"That sucks."

"It's fine. We've got enough stocked up, and I need it less and less. Aunt Mia says once I stop growing, I'll stop needing it."

"Your Aunt Mia's a smart woman," Mike said, "I'm sure she's right."

"Me too," Terran nodded. "But, anyways, my real dad, he was a jerk to my real mom. Mom, Emily mom, I mean, won't tell me exactly what he did, but she says he makes people like Frankie look like saints."

"She's right," Mike said, "I knew the guy. Like I said, I'm an old friend."

"My dad was a bad guy because he was a half Nighlok. He got my mom pregnant and then all that bad stuff happened. She kicked him out and my mom, Emily mom, I mean, erased his memory. So my mom and my aunt and uncles were left to raise me on their own. I was, and still am, the only human-Nighlok child on earth. Raising me was a day by day process. When I was just a baby, I got really sick. They didn't know I needed special water."

"Your aunts and uncles?"

"Yeah," Terran nodded, "but they did find out. Aunt Mia found out. She usually brags about saving my life, that's how I know. Anyways, my dad, the not real dad…"

"Mike?"

"Yeah, he came up with a plan. Uncle Jayden told him about a symbol that could open up a portal and he could travel through time. My dad wanted to go back a few days to collect water from pools my mom had covered up. He went into the portal, but never came out. Mom says that's the day her heart broke."

"She does?"

"She says I'm the only good thing that happened after that," Terran looked down at his hands, "I know it might seem weird. I've got amazing uncles and I love them. They are like dads to me but… they aren't my dad. They didn't risk their lives jumping through time for me. Only a real dad would do that. I never met him, but Mike… he's my real dad."

"I'm sorry, kid," Mike placed his hand on Terran's shoulder, "This must be hard for you."

"Not really," Terran shook his head, "I mean, yeah, but sometimes, I can make it easier. Sometimes, I like to think dad's back with the dinosaurs and he's their king or something. Or he's with Columbus or Napoleon… you know, something really cool. And then… never mind."

"What?"

"It's stupid."

"Kid, it's not stupid. Just tell me. If I laugh, I'll tell you something that's really stupid that I did."

Terran gulped. He played nervously with his hands, "Sometimes, I imagine my dad didn't go back in time. Sometimes, I pretend he jumped ahead. You know, like the future. I've always thought about the day he would turn up. Sweep mom off her feet or something. Really make her smile. I've never really seen her smile."

"You have," Mike muttered, "You were just too young to remember it."

"What?"

"Your mother, your Auntie Emy, she loved you to pieces. There is nothing she wouldn't have done for you. If I can be honest with you, kid, your diapers smelt… there's nothing I can compare it too. But your Aunt Emily, she always smiled when she changed you. She always tried to make you smile. She was always playing with you…"

"How do you know all this?"

"Old friend, remember?"

"But you're, like… twenty," Terran frowned. "I've been out of diapers since I was like three."

"So?"

"Mike," Mia called, stealing Mike's attention away from Terran, "Can you come here?"

Mike nodded and then gave Terran a gentle tap on the leg, "Stay strong, kid."

As Mike got up to talk to Mia, Terran got up as well. He walked over to his uncles.

"Uncle Kevin, can I get something to eat?"

Kevin nodded his head and pointed back to the chairs, "My wallet's in my pocket. Take out a twenty. Do you know where the cafeteria is?"

"Yeah," Terran nodded his head and walked back to the chairs. He found his uncle's wallet and opened it up.

Something about Mike's story didn't make sense. Mike didn't seem to be that old. Still in his early twenties, mid-twenties at the very latest. Unless Terran was missing something, there was no way he could have known everything he knew.

Terran loved to imagine. His mother had been a great mother, but she had suffered so much loss and heartache, Terran sometimes felt like he was slipping through the cracks while she tried to deal with it all. When that happened, he would always just fantasize about things suddenly getting better. He had always dreamed that somehow his real mother would come back from the dead and he wondered what it would be like to meet her. His mother Emily always described her as such a warm, caring, and amazing person, and his aunts and uncles agreed.

He also imagined his father coming home from whatever time he was in. He knew his mother was deeply in love with his father and he hoped that his father's return could fix everything for her and him.

It was a long shot, but he knew he had to try.

His Uncle Kevin kept a picture of his old team in his wallet. Terran was aware of the Samurai Rangers and he knew who each and every Ranger was. He pulled out the picture of when his dad was still around. It had been taken the Christmas before he was born. The picture even had his mother in it, and because she was pregnant with him, Terran liked to say he was there too.

His father was the green Ranger. He knew that, so his eyes fell on the man wearing green. He had his arms wrapped around both his real mother and his mother Emily. Terran gasped as he looked at his father's face and then he looked up at Mike. He dropped the picture and the wallet.

"Dad!" he shouted as he ran towards Mike and jumped into his arms.


	14. Home Is Where The Heart Is

Mike wasn't used to being a father. He wasn't used to being called dad. The word felt so wrong when Terran said it because he felt like he had done nothing to deserve being called a father, but at the same time, it felt so right. Mike wanted to hear it again and again.

He wrapped his arms around Terran and smiled, "You're a smart kid."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Terran asked as he pulled away from Mike, "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"Would you have believed me?"

"You could have proven it," Terran said. Mike just shook his head.

"I had no idea how you would react."

"Mom's going to be thrilled when she sees you," Terran said and he was smiling from ear to ear. His face could barely hold his grin. The young man was so happy to have his father back.

Mike scratched the back of his neck, "Uh, yeah… deep down maybe. She didn't seem so thrilled back at your place, though."

"But…"

"Life's not a fairy tale, kid," Mike sighed," Despite what your aunt probably tells you."

Mike turned to Mia and flashed her a look. Mia simply stared back.

"Do you want to see her?" she asked.

Mike nodded his head, "Yeah, just one minute. I'll meet you in there," he said and he sent Mia on her way to the room. He wanted to have a few words with Terran, and he thought it best if Emily saw Mia first now that she was awake. Mia could explain a few things to her that Mike wouldn't be able to.

Mike walked Terran back to the seats. The other Samurai followed and gathered around just to listen.

"You were right, Terran," Mike said, "I didn't go back in time, I went forward. Fifteen years. Your mom… wow, she really, really loves me, but I think… Terran, it's more complicated than what it seems. I left her."

"No," Terran shook his head, "You came to save me…"

"I didn't tell her I was leaving," Mike said. "I thought I could leave and come back within seconds but obviously that didn't happen. I left her, without a word, for fifteen years. She's going to be furious."

"But…"

"But I'm going to fix everything, okay?" Mike promised, "If not here then when I go back home. I'll make sure this doesn't happen. I'll make sure your mom, your real mom, survives so she can see the wonderful little man you've become and I'll make sure your Aunt Emily… I promise, she's never going to hurt like this."

"You can promise that?"

"Yeah," Mike nodded and smiled, "All I have to do is find a way home and things will be different."

"You have a way home," Kevin said, "I can show you the symbol."

"Write it down," Mike said and he pulled out the scroll. "I'll use it soon, and I'll do it right, I promise. I just… I can't leave here without seeing her."

Terran smiled, "She might be mad, but deep down, I know she'll be happy," he said before he reached into the pocket of his sweater and he pulled out a small bottle filled with a red liquid, "You came here to try and save me, right?"

"I wanted to go to the past," Mike shrugged his shoulders, "but yeah, I…"

"Here," Terran placed the bottle in Mike's hand, "This is special water. Sanzu Water. This will be enough to save baby me back in your time. Take it."

"But you…"

"I have plenty at home," Terran said, "I'll be fine. But if the stories are true then you guys… you thought I was dying. You don't know I'm going to be okay. Mom worries when I fall off my skateboard. She, both my moms, must be freaking out."

"They were," Kevin nodded his head and he gave the scroll back to Mike. "Terrified. Mike, your father, he never came back, and we had no idea a pool was going to appear before something could happen to you."

"Stop them from worrying," Terran said to Mike, "And… can you tell my moms that I love them? I've always wanted to say it to my real mom and mom Emily… she needs to hear it every day. It's her Sanzu Water."

"I'll tell them," Mike smiled and got up, "but I'm sure they already know it."

Mike started to make his way to the doors so he could visit Emily, but Terran's voice stopped him. He turned around, "Yes?"

"Thanks, dad."

Mike smiled. He tucked the bottle of Sanzu Water into his pocket and then raced down the halls to find Emily's room.

When he got to the door, again he found himself unable to open it, worried about what he would find on the other side. But he found the strength. Emily knew he was here. He couldn't do what he had done fifteen years ago and just leave, even if he was going to erase this future and make a better one. He was going to face her and apologize.

He opened the door and stepped into the room. Mia was hovering over the bed, tending to her little sister better than any of the doctors ever could. Mike knew how Emily responded to her friends. If they were medicine, it would be the only kind she would ever need. He hated to interrupt the moment, especially when he was sure he would bring nothing but heartache, but he cleared his throat, signalling his presence. He walked up to the foot of the bed and looked at Emily softly.

"How are you?" he asked.

"She's still a little weak and scared," Mia warned Mike, "but she knows what's happening. I told her you're back."

Emily pulled off her oxygen mask, "You left me…"

"I'm so sorry, Emily…"

"We're partners. You said we were partners. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't think I would be gone for this long. I thought I would be right back, before you knew I was gone."

Tears filled Emily's eyes, "I hate you. You ruined everything!"

"Emily…"

"Serena's dead because of you!"

"Emy, calm down," Mia took her sister's hand and pointed to the door as she glared at Mike, "I think that's enough…"

"It's been fifteen years, Mike!"

"I know," Mike lowered his head, "I never planned for this to happen. I swear."

"Go away," Emily put the mask back on and closed her eyes. Mike wanted to cry. He knew it was going to take days, weeks, maybe months or years to fix this, but he didn't have that kind of time. He needed to get home.

Despite the look in Mia's eyes that made Mike wish he was dead and buried, he walked around the bed so he was beside Emily and he took her hand.

"Fifteen years, a hundred years, I will find my way back to you," he promised her. "I wish I could stay and help you through this. I wish I could give you everything I took away, but I can't. Not in this time."

He took out the scroll that Kevin had given back and he showed it to Emily, "I'm going back. Back fifteen years. I'm going to stop this. I'm never going to leave you."

"You said that before, look what happened," Emily muttered. Mike kissed her forehead.

"I'm right here, Em. I love you."

"Go away."

Mike gulped and nodded his head. He stepped away from the bed and opened up the scroll. He read the instructions and the symbol Kevin left for him. In the room, where Emily could see him, he traced the symbol for time and a portal opened up. This time, Mike didn't just jump through. He stood and examined the portal and he noticed he could see through it. He could see where he was going to end up.

"That could have saved me a lot of grief," Mike muttered. "There's a lesson about jumping in head first."

He looked back down at the scroll and very carefully, inside the open portal for time, he traced the symbol for home, making sure to do it perfectly.

Suddenly, the image inside the portal changed. Mike, Mia, and Emily saw through it and the portal showed Emily, the younger Emily. Mike smiled, "Home."

"_Where's Mike?" the younger Emily inside the portal frowned as she looked around._

_Younger Mia took Emily's hand, "This is really horrible timing, Emily…"_

"No!" Mike shouted and dove into the portal and it closed up suddenly behind him, leaving the future behind.

-Samurai-

"This is really horrible timing, Emily…" Mia started but before she could say anything else, a bright portal opened up just above her and the others and Mike suddenly came falling out of nowhere. The girls, Kevin and Antonio stepped back just in time to avoid being crushed, but they left Mike to hit the ground hard.

"Mike!" Emily cried and fell to her knees, "Are you okay? Where did you… what did you… What were you doing in the air? That's not your element!"

Mike rolled over and groaned, "Hard landing…"

He reached into his pocket, where he had stashed the bottle for Terran and he hoped it wasn't broken from the fall.

Fortunately it was safe and sound. He held up the bottle to Emily.

"Sanzu Water," he said. "Just enough to make Terran's crying stop. He drinks it."

"What?"

"Trust me. Put it in a baby bottle and feed Terran."

Emily nodded her head and quickly jumped to her feet. She raced to the kitchen to grab a bottle for Terran, dumped the water in, careful not to spill a drop, and then hurried back to her room.

Meanwhile, right outside her room, as she was trying to convince Serena to let her feed Terran the Sanzu Water, Mike was being helped to his feet by Mia, Kevin, and Antonio.

"So, uh, what's with the sudden portal in the hallway?" Antonio asked.

"I… OW!" Mike was punched hard in the shoulder by Kevin. "DUDE!"

"You idiot! I told you not to time travel! You had us worried sick!"

"I know, I know. Trust me, I know."

"Where the hell did you go?" Mia asked, "What took you so long? Why weren't you back right away?"

"I didn't go back in time," Mike said, "I went forward."

"Like, the future? Sweet!" Antonio smiled brightly.

Mike was punched in the shoulder again, "OW!"

"You idiot!"

"I'm sorry! How was I supposed to know?"

"How about not jumping through portals your red Ranger and Samurai leader tell you not to jump through."

"But… OW! Stop it! I get it! You love me."

"How did you get that from this?" Kevin asked and he punched Mike's shoulder again. The green Ranger jumped behind Mia for protection.

Mia spun around and shoved Mike, "Don't you ever do that again!"

"You guys are violent," Mike muttered.

"Where did you go?" Antonio asked, "Or, how far, I mean."

"Fifteen years," Mike answered and jumped back, avoiding another punch from Kevin and a push from Mia, "Guys! Relax! I'm home, now, and I got Sanzu Water, like promised."

"Fifteen years?" Kevin growled and Mike was sure he was ready to start something, but he suddenly stopped. Everyone knew why. Terran's screams and crying were suddenly quiet. The three Samurai turned to Serena and Emily's door while Mike smirked.

"Everything's going to be fine."

Mia hurried into the room. She wanted to make sure it was real. She wanted to be sure Terran wasn't just tired of crying. When she walked into the room she saw Serena sitting on the bed, crying.

"Serena…?"

Serena looked up and forced a smile before she pointed to the center of the room. Emily had Terran on a blanket on the floor. The bottle she had brought in was now sitting beside Emily, completely emptied, and the yellow Ranger was playing with her nephew, making the little boy smile so brightly he lit up the room.

Mike walked in behind Mia he gave her a gentle pat on the back and whispered to her and Antonio and Kevin, "All that matters," he said before he left them and sat down next to Emily. He pulled her in for a kiss, stealing her away from Terran for a moment.

When they parted, he looked into her eyes, "I love you."

"I love you too," Emily smiled and nestled into his arms.

Serena came over and scooped up her happy baby from the floor. She hugged and cuddled him.

"You feel better, don't you?" she cooed and kissed him.

"When pools come up, we'll collect bottles before we cover them up," Mike said. He looked up at Serena, "Hey, do you ever wonder what Terran's thinking?"

Serena frowned at the sudden change of topic but she shook her head, "No. I make him think what I want him to think. Right now he's wondering why his Uncle Mike is such an oddball."

"I think he loves you," Mike answered. "I think, if he could talk, he would say it right now. I think he'd say it every day, if he could."

Serena smiled and looked down at her happy son as he stared back at her like she was his everything. Serena nodded her head, "I know, Mike, but thanks."

"Give me baby," Mia said, holding her arms out to steal her nephew from his mother. She wanted to hug the little boy now that he was feeling better (and she could finally get some sleep).

While the others were distracted by Terran, Mike took Emily's hand and led her out of the room and into the hallway. He closed the door and looked down into her eyes lovingly.

"He loves you too, you know," he said.

"He?"

"Terran. He loves you a lot. More than you might ever know."

"And how do you know this?"

"I just do," Mike smiled. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her in closer, "I'll always find my way back to you."

"Mike, you're talking nonsense," Emily giggled and rested her head against his chest, "You're not going anywhere, right? You'll never have to find your way back."

"I love you," he kissed the top of her head.

Emily smiled and looked up, "I love you too," she started to push against his chest, "but can I go back inside and play with my finally happy baby?"

Mike laughed and let her go, "Yeah, Em."

Emily kissed his cheek and then raced inside the room. She stole Terran from Kevin's arms and sat with him on the bed. Mike stepped into the room and watched her. He saw her smile grow, like it always did when she was holding Terran, when she was the happiest he'd ever seen her.

Then she looked up at him and pat the spot beside her on the bed. Mike went over and sat next to her. He tickled Terran's stomach gently and then turned to Emily. She was looking back at him, her smile a little bigger.


	15. Stories Of The Future

Jayden was happy to have Terran back. He was relieved that the young boy had stopped crying, leaving the house in peace. He knew Mike had disobeyed him, but he had expected that when he told the green Ranger no. Jayden knew Mentor would never approve if he found out, and he would get in trouble if Mentor figured out Jayden had been the one to insist Mike use the time symbol, which was why Jayden did the opposite.

Everything had worked out as planned and even though there had been a little scare, everyone was back where they needed to be, happy and healthy.

But there was one more thing Jayden needed to do. He stormed into Dr. Harada's home while the old man was eating lunch. Without a word to the doctor, Jayden started ripping books off shelves and stuffing them into a bag he had brought with him.

"Jayden!" Dr. Harada shouted as he tried to stop the red Ranger, but Jayden pushed Harada to the ground and continued taking the books. Harada got to his feet, "Jayden! Stop this now…"

"You were called to help the Samurai," Jayden growled, "You made an oath to serve us. You swore you would do everything in your power to heal any Samurai that crossed your path."

"But…"

"Twice you have failed to do so," Jayden said. He had collected all the books he needed and he slung his bag over his shoulder. It was heavy, but he needed everything inside.

"I do not heal the Nighlok…"

"You won't be healing anyone anymore," Jayden shook his head and he grabbed the doctor by the arm and pulled him out of his house. When they were far enough away, Jayden let go. He turned to his house and made a symbol with his Samuraizer. Dr. Harada watched in horror as his house, and all his equipment inside, burned.

"No!"

"There's a home waiting for you in the city," Jayden passed the doctor an envelope, "You will live there."

"You can't do this!" Harada shouted but Jayden just turned away and started for home.

-Samurai-

Mike gathered Mia, Kevin, and Antonio into the common room. They knew he had time travelled fifteen years into the future, and he was sure they were going to want to hear something about it. While they had been mad at the fact that he had been so careless, Mike knew that if he was in their place, he would be begging to hear what his future looked like, even though it was very different from what it would end up being now that he was back.

"So, fifteen years, huh?" Antonio asked. He was the most excited of all, "Do we age well?"

"Yeah, I guess," Mike chuckled and nodded his head, "You all look more or less the same. A little older, but the same."

"What can you tell us?" Kevin asked.

"Well… you and Mia are married…"

"C'mon, I could have told them that," Antonio rolled his eyes, "I could have predicted that the minute I walked into the Shiba House. Give us something good."

"With twins," Mike added.

Kevin looked at Mike in shock before his eyes suddenly rolled back and he slipped off his stool and fainted to the floor. Mia dropped down beside him to wake him quickly. Mike and Antonio just laughed and bumped fists.

"Look at that, I do get to see the look on his face," Mike laughed.

"Twins?" Kevin asked as Mia helped him sit up. He stared at Mike, "So not one, but two, TWO, babies at once?"

"What are you freaking out about?" Mia asked with a laugh, "I'm the one giving birth to them."

"You're a good dad, Kevin," Mike smiled, hoping to reassure the blue Ranger before he really started to panic, "I don't know what'll happen now, but you'll be able to handle it."

"Any more shocking news?" Antonio asked excitedly, "I want to see Kevin faint again."

"No more, please," Kevin said while Mia carefully lifted him back onto his stool.

Mike nodded his head and turned to Antonio, "You're not going to believe what I saw."

"What?"

"You and…" Mike paused for a quick moment and remembered the promise he made to the future Mia not to spill to anyone about Antonio and Jayden. In the present time, Jayden still hadn't told anyone he was bisexual. Telling the house he would marry Antonio would involve outing him before he was ready. He couldn't do that to his friend. "You find a really good guy Antonio. He's out there."

"Who?"

"I can't tell you that," Mike shook his head and laughed, "It'll ruin the surprise. But I promise, you'll find him in any future."

"So, our twins," Mia said, pulling the attention back to her and Kevin just so she could tease her fiancé, "Identical? Fraternal? C'mon, Mike, I've been waiting my whole life to figure out my future! You've got to give me a better sneak peak than that."

"The future's going to be different," Mike said, "I wasn't in that one."

"Just tell me," Mia rolled her eyes. Kevin plugged his ears.

"Not ready, not ready, not ready…"

"A boy and a girl," Mike answered Mia, "Two really cute kids, and they care a lot about you."

"Can we talk about something else?" Kevin asked, "Anything else? What about Xandred? Did we win?"

"Yeah," Mike nodded his head with a smile before he remembered the details he had been given about the final battle. His heart sunk. He knew the future was different, but it still worried him. What happened with Serena and Mentor could very well happen in this time, despite all the things Mike would change. Mentor died because, as he always did, he stayed in the Shiba House while the Rangers were battling. That was something that wouldn't change whether Mike was around or not.

And Serena protecting Emily would still happen. It was possible it was under different circumstances. Xandred was trying to destroy the Rangers which meant when he did come out of the Netherworld, he would try to kill them all. If Serena didn't die before Emily, she would surely try to jump in Xandred's way to protect her sister.

"You don't look too happy about that," Antonio frowned and nudged the green Ranger, "What happened?"

"Can I tell you guys something?"

"Yeah," Mia and the boys nodded. Mike leaned forward and took a deep breath as he prepared to tell them about what happened to Emily while he was away.

-Samurai-

Jayden met Mentor just outside the Shiba House and dropped the bag of books on the ground. He looked up at Ji sadly.

"I didn't like doing that," he said, "I owe him dad's life."

"Your father would have done the same," Mentor assured the red Ranger, "Unfortunately, we cannot risk working with Dr. Harada any longer. If he will withhold information from us, he will do more harm than good."

"He's right about not helping the Nighlok," Jayden said, "As much as I hate him for what he did to Serena and Terran… don't you ever think…?"

"If I thought for a minute Terran was a problem, I would have dealt with him long before he was born," Ji said. He picked up the bag. Now that Harada was out of the picture, he was going to have to take up the doctor's responsibilities. He was going to have to learn everything the doctor knew, and it was going to take him a long, long time.

Ji placed a hand on Jayden's shoulder, "There are thousands of different Nighlok and each one is different from the next, just like humans. If we've got humans roaming this earth who are more evil and heartless than some of the Nighlok…"

"Dr. Harada for instance," Jayden muttered.

"Why can't we have Nighlok who are kinder and more compassionate than some humans? I'm sure Terran will turn out to be a fine young man."

"You're right," Jayden nodded and smiled before he opened his mouth wide for a yawn, "Now if you don't mind, Terran's been keeping me up for hours. I'd really like to get some sleep."

Mentor chuckled and nodded before letting Jayden walk back into the house.

-Samurai-

Mike finished with his story and was suddenly punched in the arm, "OW!"

"That's horrible!"

He looked over at Mia and saw the tears in her eyes. His story had deeply upset her. It had upset everyone. Mike was doing everything he could to hold back his own tears.

Just when Mike was sure the room was going to burst into tears, Emily came bouncing in, as happy and energetic as ever.

"Guys… Oof!"

Before she knew it, she was swallowed whole in Mia's arms. The pink Ranger hugged her little sister tight and rocked her from side to side.

"I love you," she said and kissed Emily's cheek. Emily tried to squirm out.

"Mia! Stop it! Why is everyone acting so weird?"

Mia held Emily by the arms and pushed the younger girl away so she could look her in the eyes, "You know, no matter what happens, we are _always_ here for you."

"Yeah, I… oof! Mia…" Emily pushed against Mia's chest as she was pulled in for another hug, "Ugh, let me go! Kevin, get her off!"

"Come here you little monster," Kevin got up and wrapped his arms around both Mia and Emily.

"What's going on?" Emily asked. She tried to slip out from between the couple but they wouldn't let go.

Antonio jumped in suddenly and Emily felt his weight crashing down on the group hug she was trying very hard to escape. She pushed and pulled and squirmed, but her friends wouldn't let her go. She decided to just let herself fall out of their arms by lifting her feet off the ground, but was surprised to find the others were holding her up. She couldn't fall.

"Help?" she called weakly.

"What's going on?" Jayden looked inside the common room. All he could see was Mia, Kevin, and Antonio hugging each other, while Mike sat off to the side, laughing.

Antonio waved the red Ranger over, "Come join us!"

"No, thank you," Jayden turned to leave, deciding to ignore the scene, but then he thought he heard something. He turned back to the group hug and looked a little closer, "Emily?"

"They're trying to eat me," Emily finally slipped out of the hug and crashed on the floor, appearing out of nowhere to Jayden.

Jayden was about to ask but decided against it. He shook his head and looked away, "No eating each other. It's rude and there's plenty of food in the fridge."

With that, he set off to bed.

Emily straightened herself out and then saw the others were all staring at her. She slowly started to back away.

"Guys… why are you…?" she turned and ran before she could finish her sentence. Kevin laughed. Mia teased her by pretending to go after her, but ultimately decided she had freaked the yellow Ranger out enough.

Antonio, however, was always ready for a chase and he set off after Emily.

"You'll never get rid of us, Emily!" he called.

Mike shook his head, "You guys… OW! What the hell, Mia!"

"Don't you ever time travel again," she warned the green Ranger. "If that future or anything like it happens, even in the slightest way…"

"You're dead," Kevin finished for Mia with a growl.

Mike nodded. He understood completely, "I'm not leaving."


	16. Twin Troubles

Eating Emily wasn't an option. Jayden had made that point very clear, and while there was plenty of food in the fridge, Mia made up an excuse to get out of the house for a bit. When Terran had been screaming and crying the days before, Mia had done her part to help, but there had been only so much a sleep deprived pink Ranger could do to help. Quite a bit of the time she was locked in her room, trying to ignore Terran's painful screams so she could calm herself down, she had been online, looking up new recipes to try for the Rangers.

Her old ones were all garbage. Her family had never been good chefs and she only found out when she came here to the Shiba House. As a result, she felt like she was right back to the beginning with her skill. Kevin helped her quite a bit in the kitchen, but Mia wanted to learn to do things on her own. She wanted to find recipes and follow them, or even learn to improvise without burning down the kitchen or the Rangers' tongues.

And when Mike came back from the future with news that she was going to have a family (ignoring the fact that that future no longer existed), Mia's passion for cooking flared again. She wanted to be a wife and mother. She wanted to be the one who would take care of her family by cooking meals, keeping the house clean, driving the kids to school and sports and music lessons, she wanted it all. She knew it was a little old fashion, most women wanted to work and support themselves, but Mia wanted what she wanted and she was going to work towards her dream, no matter how hard it was.

So she said she needed ingredients for a meal, promising the Rangers she would cook a great dinner for them, and she insisted she didn't have all the ingredients, which allowed her to leave for the supermarket and she could take Kevin with her. It was perfect.

As she pushed the cart, she noticed they were walking by a shelf of baby food and formula. She was reminded of Mike's news of her twins and nudged Kevin.

"We'll have to buy twice as much as Serena if we do end up with twins," she laughed. Kevin's face flushed in a panic. Mia knew he wasn't ready for kids and neither was she, but it was always fun to imagine. Kevin didn't seem so amused.

"Can we stop with that?" he asked, annoyed, "Just the fact that Mike's home now changes everything completely."

"It's not changing everything," Mia shook her head; "You and I are going to get married. That's not going to change."

"Mia, we live in a different time," Kevin said, "What Mike saw isn't going to happen. He erased that. So can we just drop it?"

Mia stopped the cart suddenly and looked at Kevin in shock as he continued down the aisle, unaware she wasn't following him. As he reached the end of the aisle he turned around to ask if she had everything she needed. He saw Mia wasn't behind him. The cart was. It was sitting right in the middle of the aisle, completely abandoned, with everything inside of it.

Kevin groaned. He walked over to the shopping cart and started to pull it along. Mia was gone, he was well aware of that now, but someone needed to pay for these groceries.

"What did you do now, Kevin?" he muttered to himself.

-Samurai-

Back at the Shiba House, Antonio was stocking up his fishing cart and he was getting ready for his big, exciting day off. After working so hard to program the box, Mentor, Jayden, and the other Rangers thought it was the least he deserved. It had taken a lot of work getting the Box programmed and it had been very draining and frustrating.

Just as Antonio was about to head out the back door, he heard someone walking up behind him. He turned around and smiled at Jayden.

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you don't want some company?" Jayden asked rather shyly and Antonio knew the red Ranger was looking for an excuse to spend some time with him. As much as Antonio wanted to be with Jayden, he wanted a little alone time more. It wasn't something he got often in the Shiba House, and it wasn't something he needed often, but right now, it was something he needed.

"Any other day," Antonio promised, "I just need some alone time. But I'll be back tonight for dinner. I hear Mia's making something. And then after dinner, you and I can watch a movie or something."

Jayden nodded his head, "Alright, that sounds good. Just keep your Samurai Morpher with you in case we do need you."

Antonio tapped his back pocket, "It's got it right in here. You call, I'll hear it."

"You better," Jayden smirked and then he let Antonio go while he decided to check up on Mike and Emily. They had decided the weather was nice enough to train outside and Jayden figured he could join them.

Just as he stepped outside, he heard a scream, "WATCH OUT!" Emily shouted to Mike as a large, round boulder appeared from the symbol she had drawn on a canvas and it threatened to crush the yellow and green Ranger. Emily avoided it by ducking under her table. Mike heard his girlfriend's warning just in time and jumped out of the way, letting the boulder roll across the yard and into the bench, where it finally stopped.

Jayden shook his head and rolled his eyes. Whoever had given Emily control over Earth must have been out of their mind. This happened every time Emily wanted to practice her symbols. Something always came out and tried to knock the others down. If she had been wind it would have been much easier to handle. But earth? Stones?

"Mike, are you okay?" Emily raced over to the mats and helped Mike up to his feet. Jayden walked over as well and brushed a little dirt from Mike's shoulder.

The green Ranger nodded his head, "Yeah. No sweat. You?"

"I'm fine."

Mike picked up a sword and held it out to Emily, "Maybe you should train with this. I can't believe I'm going to say it, but you're safer swinging this around like a maniac."

Emily stuck her tongue out a Mike as she snatched the katana and walked over to a dummy.

As Mike and Emily resumed their training, trying to see who could defeat their dummy opponent fastest, Jayden noticed the gate starting to open as Mia walked in.

"I thought you were getting…"

"Change of plans," Mia muttered as she stomped up to the house, "We're eating Emily for dinner."

She slammed the door as she disappeared inside the house. Jayden, Mike, and Emily exchanged curious and worried looks. Something was wrong.

"Maybe I should…." Emily was about to offer to talk to Mia when Kevin finally came in, carrying a couple of bags of groceries. He looked up to his teammates and sighed.

"I think I said something."

Emily nodded her head, "I should go see if she's okay."

As she walked off to find Mia, Kevin approached the two boys and shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know what happened. She was just talking about the twins and…"

"Twins?" Jayden asked. He was aware Mike had used the time symbol, but knew nothing of his adventures.

"Long story," Mike gave him a pat on the shoulder and turned to Kevin, "Dude, you've got to ease up on the twin thing. I mean, you freaking out is funny, but this stuff is serious to her."

"Twins?" Kevin frowned. "She doesn't seriously think…"

"Kids. C'mon, dude, you know this. Mia wanting kids is like Emily wanting a cookie or ice-cream."

"I want kids too," Kevin said, "she knows that. I'm just not ready for it. She knows that too. I don't get why she's freaking out just because I don't want to talk about it right now."

Mike smirked and traced a symbol in the air. Suddenly a shovel appeared in his hands. He passed it to the blue Ranger.

"Start digging. Knowing Mia, the problem's buried deep."

"Great," Kevin muttered. He held the shovel over his shoulder and started to walk inside, "Just great…"

When he was gone, Jayden looked to Mike, "Twins?"

"Uh, about that…"

"I know you time travelled," Jayden said, "I'm not mad."

"Yeah, well your stupid symbol didn't send me back. I went ahead. Fifteen years."

"Fifteen years?"

"Mia and Kevin were married with twins."

"Oh," Jayden nodded slowly. Then he turned to the door and breathed knowingly, "Oh…"

"Yeah. Mia seemed pretty happy when I told her. Kevin… not so much…"


	17. Hidden In The Shell

When Emily walked into the house she quickly found Mia in the common room. She was playing with Terran while Serena took advantage of the babysitter so she could shower. Mia noticed the yellow Ranger walking into the room. She picked Terran up and held him out.

"Does he scare you?" she asked.

Emily picked up her nephew and shook her head, "No. Does he scare you?"

"He scares Kevin."

"He does?" Emily looked at Terran and smiled as he stared curiously at her necklace, as if he wanted to grab it.

Mia sighed, "Not Terran specifically. Babies in general."

"Kevin's scared of babies?"

"No… not… it's complicated."

"They can't hurt him," Emily shrugged, "and they don't talk, so it's not like they can say mean things. Sometimes Terran pulls my hair and that does hurt, but I know he doesn't mean it."

"We talked about having kids," Mia said. "It's the next step."

"After you get married, right? You're not pregnant now, are you?"

"What? No! God, Emily, no," Mia quickly shook her head "but before the wedding, we both need to agree on what we want. I was just… I was teasing him today at the supermarket. We walked down the baby food aisle and I joked about having twins."

"Twins?" Emily's face paled. She looked back at Terran, "Um… why twins?"

"It just came up," Mia answered. She couldn't really give Emily the details of how it came up without telling the younger Samurai of how Mike traveled through time without talking with her first. She didn't want to get her little brother in trouble for a mess that had been avoided. Mike and Emily had suffered enough.

"Twins is a lot," Emily said. "That's, like… two Terrans."

"I want more than one kid anyways," Mia shrugged her shoulder, "Eventually I was hoping we would have two."

"Do like what my parents did," Emily smiled, "Have one, wait until she's old enough, have another, and have the first help take care of her. Serena changed more of my diapers than she wants to count. Back then, mom convinced her it was part of her Samurai training. You know, for the smelly monsters."

Mia just sighed, "Can I ask you a serious question?"

"Yeah."

"Have you ever thought about your family. Not with your parents and Serena; I mean your own family. Starting one."

"All the time," Emily nodded her head.

"Have you thought about kids?"

"I want a girl. I've already got Terran," Emily smiled, "And besides, watching Mike take care of his daughter…"

"Have you ever talked about that with Mike?" Mia interrupted with a hopeful look. "Kids, I mean. You two used to be engaged so it must have come up."

"We joke around about it," Emily nodded her head. "Mike once joked about multiples. He once made up a fantasy where I was pregnant with triplets. Two boys and one girl, the girl for me. That was scary. I'm old fashioned. One at a time, and after getting a front row seat to watch how they come out, I might just adopt."

Mia sighed, "I know Kevin freaks out about this stuff and I know he's not ready for kids now… but he won't even talk about it with me."

"You did talk about twins."

"Mike got you pregnant with triplets. You didn't question the engagement because of that," Mia said. Emily's face fell.

"He questioned your engagement?"

"I… never mind," Mia suddenly closed herself up and got to her feet, "Serena said she wouldn't be long. Mind watching Terran until she gets back?"

"Mia," Emily called but Mia just continued off to her bedroom. Emily sighed and huffed. She looked down at Terran who was still mesmerized by her necklace, "Why are you babies so complicated?"

Terran looked up at her and then swiped his hand, grabbing her necklace and pulling. Emily groaned and tried to get herself free before her nephew broke the necklace or hurt her or himself.

-Samurai-

Antonio set his fishing cart on the docks and looked out at the ocean. Normally he loved to fish in the forest by the river, but on his day off, he was going all out. He didn't want to catch just a few little fish. He wanted to go after the big ones. He wanted to be surprised by his catch. He wanted a challenge.

He jumped up onto his cart and cast his rod into the ocean. He kicked his feet up on the railing and leaned back slightly while he slipped his earphones on so he could listen to music and drown out the conversations of the people around him, as well as the sounds of the city. He just wanted to relax.

In his back pocket, his Samurai Morpher was being pressed by his weight and slowly slipped right out and hit the ground. Antonio felt something move but didn't make the connection. He simply shifted his position, got comfortable, and was finally lost in his own world.

Behind him, a man walked by with his son. The man stepped over the Samurai Morpher but the little boy saw it and reached down to pick it up before he chased after his father.

"Daddy, daddy!" he shouted, "Look!"

"Put that down," the father told the boy, "You have no idea where it's been. What did I tell you about picking stuff up from the ground?"

"They're dirty," the little boy sighed and dropped the morpher. He walked off with his father.

It was almost noon time. Most of the traffic behind Antonio were people leaving the docks to grab a bite to eat. As they walked, none of them noticed the Samurai Morpher on the ground, but managed to kick it, further and further away from Antonio.

-Samurai-

Kevin didn't know what was wrong, but he had a lot of making up to do. He walked to his bedroom and opened the door slowly. Mia was sitting on their bed, reading a book. With a plate in his hands, he approached her.

"I made lunch," he said, "Your favourite."

"Just put it down," Mia muttered, "I'll eat when I'm hungry."

Kevin put the plate on the bed, "Look, Mia about…"

"Kevin, I'm really hoping to get this book finished before…" she was interrupted when the Gap Sensor went off. She groaned, "That."

She closed her book and dropped it on the bed as she got up. She didn't say another word to Kevin as she walked to the common.

Kevin grumbled and followed her. She was definitely pissed.

-Samurai-

The Nighlok attack was happening in front of the stadium. One thing Jayden liked about Nighlok attacks occurring in the city meant there were always landmarks or street names to use that would help them reach the Nighlok faster than when he turned up in a quarry, the forest, or any abandoned part of town.

Of course, it did come with a bad side. When Nighlok attacked the city, countless people were at risk of getting hurt and many of them did.

"Mike, Kevin, Emily," Jayden shouted, "You help these people get to safety."

The trio nodded their heads and split off from the group to help people up from the ground and lead them to somewhere safer. Jayden and Mia kept running on, following trail of destruction until they reached a shelled monster with a strong resemblance to an Armadillo. Right off the bat, Jayden and Mia could assume that the Nighlok used its shell for defensive purposes.

Drawing their Spin Swords, Jayden and Mia jumped in to attack but the Nighlok rolled himself up into a ball, protected by his shell. When Jayden and Mia's swords hit the shell of the Nighlok, they heard a ding as they sword connected, but left no mark to indicate damage.

"What?" Jayden frowned, pulling up his sword, "That's not good."

Suddenly, the Nighlok came out of his shell and struck both Jayden and Mia in the chest with his claws, knocking them both to the ground. The two Rangers jumped back up quickly. Now that the Nighlok was out of his protective shell they could try to attack him, but every time they came close, the Nighlok would turn his back to the Rangers, letting his shell take a hit and leaving him completely unscathed.

"Jayden! Mia!" Emily shouted as the Nighlok threw both Rangers into the pavement while the team regrouped. Mike and Kevin helped Jayden and Mia up to their feet. Emily stared at the Nighlok, who retreated back into his shell. "He's a ball?"

"Don't underestimate him," Jayden said, "We can't even dent his shell."

"Not a scratch," Mia nodded her head.

"Let me try," Kevin said and he summoned his Hydro to shoot at the Nighlok. The monster laughed.

"You guys are even lamer!"

"Forest Spear!" Mike shouted and slashed at the monster, but to no avail.

From inside his shell, the monsters shouted, "Don't you get it? I'm invincible!"

"Earth Slicer!" Emily shouted and tossed her weapon, but it simply bounced off and flew in the opposite direction, crashing through the window of a nearby shop. "Oops."

"This is getting annoying," the ball growled in frustration before he began to bounce and roll. Unable to defend themselves because their weapons were useless, the Rangers had to no way to stop the Armadillo monster from bouncing off them, using them like pinball bumpers to jump from one Ranger to the next without ever touching the ground until he had them all off their feet and rolling around in pain. The Nighlok uncurled himself and the Rangers knew he was ready to finish them off.

Suddenly, a crack appeared in his skin. The Nighlok looked down and stopped his foot.

"You Rangers are lucky," he said as he turned away, "I'm drying out!"

He disappeared into a Gap. The Rangers struggled up to their feet. Kevin tried to help Mia, who seemed to have a bit of a harder time than the others, but she refused his hand.

"I can do it."

"Mia…"

"How are we going to stop that guy?" Mike asked, "We can't even slow him down!"


	18. Cracking the Shell

Mike stared down at his bruises and shook his head, "Not one attack hurt that Nighlok. That shell's really tough. How can we beat him?"

"We'll find a way," Jayden said.

"Maybe this guy would have been easier to beat if Antonio showed up," Emily muttered. "He wasn't at that fight at all."

"Yeah," Mike nodded, "I'm normally the one who's late."

Mentor sighed, "I tried calling him but he never answered. Either he's ignoring me or he's in trouble."

"Ignore you?" Mike scoffed playfully, "Never!"

"I doubt he's purposely ignoring you," Serena said, "but it wouldn't make sense that he's in trouble. Only one Nighlok showed up on the map."

"He could be in another kind of trouble," Emily suggested. "Maybe we should look for him."

"I can go," Serena nodded, "You guys all look pretty beat up. I'll call if anything happens."

"I'll go with you," Jayden said and jumped out of his seat a little too readily, even for being Antonio's best friend. He paused for a moment and calmed himself, "Hopefully he's just ignoring his phone and someone will have to be there to give him hell for it."

"I can give him hell," Serena shrugged.

"I can also fill him in on what he missed…"

"I can do that…"

"Actually being there and retelling the story is much better than hearing it through someone who watched little dots on the map," Mike said, deciding to come to Jayden's aid. One thing that didn't change by his return to the present was Jayden's sexuality. He was bisexual even before Mike left, so it was only logical to believe he was still bisexual now. Mike wasn't too sure where Jayden's relationship with Antonio stood, but a few gentle nudges couldn't hurt.

"Alright, fair point," Serena nodded her head, "But if the others need you…"

"I'll go back," Jayden said and he followed Serena out the door.

Mike got up as well, "Em, wanna go train? You can make that rock thing like you did this morning. Maybe it can help us find a way to break through that Nighlok's shell."

"We're going to need all the help we can get," Emily sighed and got up to follow Mike outside.

Mentor gestured down the hall, "I think I hear Terran."

Kevin put his hands in his lap and he looked over to Mia, "And then there were…"

"I'm going to go finish that book," Mia interrupted and clutched her ribs as she got up from the chair. Kevin knew she was hurting from the battle. The Nighlok had really hit her hard a few times. But she refused his help. She refused to be near him. She refused to talk to him.

This was the worst kind of fighting for Kevin. At least when he and Mia were screaming at each other there was some kind of communication, but when Mia closed up, she was hurting bad, and Kevin couldn't figure out how to help her.

"Whatever I said…"

"You can't apologize when you don't know what you did," Mia rolled her eyes. She turned to Kevin, "This should be an easy one for you."

"Twins just… it freaks me out," Kevin shrugged. "I'm being honest!"

"It's not just the twins, Kevin. We don't have twins."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you," Kevin let out a heavy breath, "Mike changed the future. We can't count on anything he says to actually happen."

"Really, Kevin? Nothing?"

"None of it. Even if Mike were to die or disappear today, everything would still be different. The future's so… unpredictable."

"Every part of it?"

"Yes. It's confusing and complicated and…"

"So you're not promising anything?"

"Promising? What? No. Mia, things can change on a dime. You know that. And twins?"

"It's not about the twins, Kevin," Mia growled and she turned away, "Just drop it, Kevin."

"You're still mad…"

"Of course I'm mad."

"Tell me why."

"You don't know?"

"I'm not a mind reader, Mia."

"But you seem to be able to predict the future pretty well."

"Mia…"

"What am I going to do next?"

Kevin sighed, "Probably stomp…" Mia stormed down the hallway and into their bedroom, slamming the door behind her, "… off."

"Way to make it worse," he heard and looked over to see Mike.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to rescue you, dude, but obviously I'm too late."

"Obviously," Kevin sighed and looked down at his hands. He seemed to be making his problem worse, but Mia wasn't helping him out at all.

"You can take your mind off it by helping us try to break Emily's stone. It's good practice."

"The Nighlok's armour isn't made of stone, Mike…"

"Yeah, but its good practice, right? I mean, if we can't break the stone, there's no way we can break the Nighlok's shell. Unless we get him out," Mike started to chuckle, "You know, like the saying. He needs to come out of his shell."

"Yeah, I've already got one shell that needs to be cracked," Kevin looked in the direction of his room. Mike followed his gaze.

"Dude, you just need to soften her up," he said. "Something you said hurt her…"

"Wait, say that again."

"You hurt her?"

"No, no," Kevin jumped up from his stool, "Soften her up, like breaking through her shell, right?"

Mike furrowed his brow, "Uh, yeah. If you're going to get all romantic and stuff, I'd rather not watch. I can barely stomach myself when I'm all cute and fluffy with…"

"I know how to crack the Nighlok's shell!"

"You do?"

Kevin nodded his head, a bright smile on his face, "We just need the right Ranger, with the right attack, in the right order."

"What?"

"Thermal shock."

"Huh?"

"Science."

"Failed it."

"Just trust me," Kevin smiled. He gave Mike a pat on the back, "until that Nighlok comes back, you and Emily can start working on a way to defeat him."

"How?"

"Make a wall. One that'll be able to stop Emily's boulders."

"You want me to make a wall?"

"Figure it out, you're smart enough," Kevin hurried past Mike who was shooting him strange looks, "One shell down, one to go."

"Dude, where are you going?"

"Dojo," Kevin said, "I think better when I'm working out by myself."

-Samurai-

Jayden pressed his Samuraizer against his ear as it rang and he hoped Antonio would finally pick up. They had picked up his Samuraizers signal in the city and were following it around, hoping to eventually catch up to him, but he kept moving around.

"Don't do this, Antonio," Jayden muttered as he got the gold Ranger's voicemail once again.

"You're really worried, huh?" Serena asked, turning her head to the side and giving Jayden a look.

"He's my best friend," Jayden answered, "You're worried too, aren't you?"

"Well, yeah, but…"

"How are things with you and James?" Jayden asked, trying to change the topic, "It must be easier now that he knows our secret."

"Obviously, but don't try…"

"And what about work. You haven't gone back to the school yet, are you thinking of…"

"Soon," Serena nodded, "Once I can explain to the principal why I ditched without notice. I spent as many days absent as I did present right up until the day I quit. I worked miracles according to some students, but my record says otherwise."

Jayden nodded his head then looked down at the screen on his Samuraizer. Antonio's signal had moved yet again, "Dammit, Antonio, you said you were fishing!"

"Now where is he?"

Jayden turned right around, "This way."

"What the hell?" Serena groaned and turned around.

-Samurai-

Kevin smacked the training dummy, "What did I say?"

He repeated the scene in the grocery store over and over in his head. He couldn't see how he had said something wrong. Mia was obviously upset about something, and she usually wasn't the illogical type, so there had to be an answer, Kevin just couldn't figure it out.

So he took it piece by piece.

Mia brought up the twins. Twins they were likely never going to have now that Mike was back. He knew the idea of two kids at once didn't bother her, but it scared him. The only time he had been left in charge, on his own, of watching just Terran, he'd nearly broken the boy's skull. He had no idea how he was going to juggle two kids, especially as the father.

So he had told her that. He told her Mike's future wasn't going to happen and everything would be different.

"Then what did she say," Kevin whispered to himself and he hoped Mia had left him with some kind of clue.

He remembered she seemed to get defensive after that, at least, from what he could tell by her tone. Kevin couldn't remember the exact words she said, though.

"Something about something not… changing… I'm screwed," he muttered, "I have no idea why, but I'm screwed. Alright, Kevin, don't panic. Just think about your reply. Maybe that'll help you remember."

He had insisted things were different. He had insisted that the future Mike saw wasn't going to happen. None of it. The kids, the marriage…

"I'm such an idiot…"


	19. What He Meant Was

After figuring out what he had said wrong, Kevin was determined to make it right.

Before the Nighlok turned up again.

He was positive they all needed to work as a team to defeat the Nighlok. If his theory was right, the Rangers needed to be able to communicate properly and listen. He knew Mia wasn't the kind of person who would let her personal life interfere with her Samurai training, but he couldn't risk it. He didn't want to risk it.

He knocked on the door to his bedroom and walked right in. He saw Mia was lying on the bed with her book at her side and she was clutching her ribs. She quickly moved her hands away and picked up the book, but it was too late. Kevin had seen.

"You're hurt," he said.

Mia shook her head, "I'm fine. We're all a little sore…"

"Mia, please stop hiding things from me."

"It's my ribs, okay?" Mia rolled her eyes, "but there's nothing I can do about that, right? Just drop it, Kevin. Get what you want and…"

"I'm sorry," Kevin sat down on the bed, "What I said in the grocery store… I didn't mean that future wasn't going to happen. It's just… it's not going to happen like that. Everything sets everything else in motion."

"You don't want twins," Mia shrugged her shoulder, "I get it. Kids scare you…"

"That doesn't mean I don't want them," Kevin said, "That doesn't mean I don't want that life with you. I want to get married, I want to have kids. But talking about it right now just… it scares me."

"Talking about it scares you?" Mia rolled her eyes, "Kevin, right now it's not real. That's like… being afraid of monster stories, but thinking you can handle going face to face with the Nighlok. When the kids are real, when that's really happening, it's going to be so much scarier. I want to talk about it. I want to talk soon."

"How soon?"

"As soon as possible," Mia shrugged, "The idea's in my head now and…"

"I will freak out."

"Freaking out is one thing," Mia said, "Saying it's never going to happen…"

"That's not what I meant."

"That's what you said."

"Mia, I…"

"I brought up the fact that we were still getting married. I told you that wasn't changing. You said Mike erased that future. You said it was uncertain."

"That's not what I meant…"

"Arg, never mind," Mia groaned as the Gap Sensor went off. The Nighlok was back and Kevin felt like he hadn't made any progress at all. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do. He had to go fight the monster.

-Samurai-

Jayden and Serena were still searching the city for Antonio when Jayden's Samuraizer went off. The red Ranger sighed heavily. He knew he had to leave.

"I'll find him," Serena assured him, "And if he's not in trouble, I'll give him hell."

"Make sure you do," Jayden nodded and hurried off. Serena opened up her Samuraizer and picked up Antonio's signal. Now he was in another neighbourhood entirely.

"Stupid idiot," she muttered and followed his signal. "When I catch up to you, you better be in serious trouble…"

-Samurai-

The Rangers hurried to where the Nighlok's signal was coming from and they found him rolling around the city in his ball. He was breaking everything he came in contact with, but his shell didn't even have a dent. He just kept rolling, and rolling.

He jumped up out of his ball and laughed at the Rangers, "You fools again?"

"We're shutting you down!" Mike nodded his head. He knew Kevin had a plan and he trusted it would work, hopefully before someone got rolled over.

"You just proved how foolish you are, thinking you can win!" the Nighlok jumped back into his ball and he started to roll towards the Rangers.

"I have a plan," Kevin said to the others, "Do as I say, got it?"

"We're with you," Jayden nodded his head. As long as it meant defeating the Nighlok in a timely manner he would try anything. He needed to get back to work finding Antonio so he could know the gold Ranger was okay.

"Alright, Mike, Emily, did you two practice the wall?"

The green and yellow Rangers nodded their heads and stepped forward with their Samuraizers. They traced their symbols and suddenly stones and vines came together, forming a solid rock wall right in the Nighlok's path. Unable to stop rolling, the Nighlok crashed right into the wall with more than enough force to take it down, but he knocked himself out of his ball in the process.

"Quick, Jayden, Mia, heat him up!" Kevin shouted as the Nighlok got back up to his feet.

"I'm still fine," the Nighlok said before he was suddenly blasted by a large flame of fire. The flames continued to grow as Mia fueled them with her wind. The Nighlok rolled up into a ball and used his shell to protect himself from the extreme heat.

"My turn!" Kevin called as the flames began to die away. Kevin created a large wave with his symbol and splashed the Nighlok, rapidly cooling him off.

"All you did was clean my shell!" the Nighlok shouted as he jumped out of the ball. He laughed and turned his back to the Rangers, showing them his shell, "Thanks, Rangers."

"Look!" Emily pointed to the shell, "Cracks!"

"Dude, that actually worked!" Mike smiled and he gave Kevin a pat on the back, "Man, I should have paid more attention in school, huh?"

Jayden pulled out the black box and he passed the device over to Kevin, "I think you deserve to finish him off."

Kevin nodded, "It'll be my pleasure."

-Samurai-

Serena had given up on following Antonio. Now she was chasing him. She was cutting through yards, running through alleys, and jumping into the middle of the street to try and chase him down. She knew he was fast as the gold Ranger, but this was getting ridiculous.

Finally, she saw his signal stopped in a plaza and she raced to get there as quickly as she could before he took off again. She made it there on time. She was right on top of his signal. Now she just needed to find him.

She scanned the area before suddenly feeling the ground shaking. She glanced over her shoulder and saw the Megazord fighting a giant monster on the other end of the city. Fortunately she was safe here.

She pulled out her Samuraizer and called Antonio. She heard his morpher going off and smirked. She would find him in no time.

The ringing was getting louder and louder. She was getting close. She walked by a big man who was stuffing his face with a hot-dog but dismissed him. However, as she started to walk further and further away from him, the ringing got quieter and quieter.

She turned back around and saw him fiddling with Antonio's morpher. Her eyes nearly popped out of her head.

"No way…"

"What kind of stupid phone doesn't accept incoming calls?" the man asked and then he noticed the time. He tossed the phone over his shoulder, "Whoever lost this is probably glad it's gone."

He stuffed the hot-dog in his mouth and got out of his seat, "Time to pick up Spike from school."

Serena kept her eyes on the phone as the big man walked away. When he was gone she jumped for the phone and entered the proper combination into the phone to unlock it. She put it to one ear, and her own Samuraizer to the other.

"Yep," she said into the one phone and she could hear herself through the other, "It's definitely Antonio's."

She put his cell phone in her pocket and stormed off to the docks. It was likely he wasn't even aware it was missing.

And hopefully he was still safe and sound at the docks, like he was supposed to be. If he was, though, he wouldn't be safe for long.

"Start praying, golden boy," Serena muttered.

-Samurai-

With the Nighlok finally defeated, Kevin could focus on what really mattered. He needed to get Mia to listen to him. He needed her to understand that he hadn't meant what she understood.

Being tossed around for a bit in the Megazord cockpit had aggravated Mia's ribs, but she wouldn't tell anyone that. She knew there wasn't anything anyone could do for her, but she was trailing behind on the way home. As the Rangers rushed inside the Shiba House to celebrate their victory, she stayed back. She took a seat on the steps and held her ribs, trying to support them while she took a moment to breathe.

Kevin noticed she wasn't coming inside and he stepped out with her. He took a seat beside her and sighed.

"I'm really sorry," he said, "I should have thought about what I said. I mean, in the store, that was a Mike move."

"I get it, Kevin, just drop it…"

"I'm not dropping it," Kevin shook his head, "Mia, what I said was stupid because I didn't even consider marriage."

"Just stop…"

"Listen. Please just listen to me for a minute."

Mia turned to him but she didn't say a word. Kevin smiled.

"Thank you," he said before letting out a deep breath, "Look, when I said Mike erased everything… I didn't mean us. I didn't mean we were never going to get married and have a family. I just mean... it's going to be different. Us getting married, that's always going to be in our future."

"Always?"

"Well, for now," Kevin chuckled, "Before we know it, I'll be standing at that alter and you'll be walking down the aisle. I'll be freaking out, I promise you that, but I'll go through with it. I'll go through with it because I know it's going to be the best day of my life."

Mia smiled slightly and looked down at the dirt. Kevin took her hand gently.

"Until the day we have our first baby," he said, "Then, our wedding will be one of the best days of my life. Before I met you, I never really thought about all this romance and family stuff. I just knew two things: Samurai training and swimming. I didn't think about who I was going to marry, or how many kids I wanted. I never thought about twins… but that doesn't mean I don't want it. I do want it. I want it all. I want it all with you."

He leaned over and stole a kiss. Mia chuckled softly and rested her head on his shoulder.

"You mean that?"

"I'm here now, aren't I? I'm trying to make this work," he nodded. "And the twins… hell, if it happens, I'll be super dad. I'll figure out how to change both diapers at once, just… give me a little room to freak out from time to time, okay?"

"I guess I can do that," Mia smiled, "But I do still want to talk about it…"

"I just want to be happy with you," Kevin said, "The small details about the wedding don't matter to me. I know it's important to you but I just want to see you walking down that aisle."

"I'll make you care," Mia laughed.

"And as for kids," Kevin continued, "I don't care how many you give me, even if it's all at once. One, two, three, four…"

"Whoa, slow down," Mia shifted away from Kevin slightly, "Two is _more_ than enough at once. Anymore and _I'll_ be the one freaking out."

Kevin laughed and then stood up. He held out his hand to Mia, "Are we okay now?"

Mia nodded. She took his hand and he helped her up to her feet. She was still clutching her ribs as she got up. Kevin furrowed his brow.

"I really think someone should have a look at that," he said. Mia glanced down and then nodded her head. Maybe there was nothing that could be done, but it would help her to know what exactly was causing her so much pain.

"Doctor's office then out for dinner?" she suggested. Kevin smiled.

Just as the two were about to leave the yard, the gates burst open and Serena stormed in, pulling Antonio behind her by the ear. Octozord came in shortly after, tugging with all his strength on Antonio's fishing cart.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow…"Antonio whined.

Serena walked right up to Mia and Kevin, "Where are you two going?"

"Out to dinner…"

"Make sure you don't lose your Samuraizers," Serena huffed, "Or you'll both end up like this numbskull."

"Numb ear more like it," Antonio muttered. Serena started to pull again on Antonio's ear and dragged him into the house.

Kevin and Mia looked to each other and then shook their heads. They didn't want to know.


	20. Where They Should Be

Serena pulled Antonio, still by the ear, into his bedroom. Jayden had gotten a call from her after the battle so he knew she had found him. He was waiting for them in the middle of the room and he did not look happy.

When Serena finally let go of his ear, Antonio thought she had pulled it off. She had been pinching it all the way from the docks and had dragged him home, cursing the entire way.

"What did I do?" he rubbed his ear and made sure it was still where it belonged. He could feel the blood finally rushing back and his ear warming up painfully.

Serena pulled his Samurai Morpher out of her pocket, "Are you a magician?"

"That's mine…" he reached for it but Serena held it just out of arm's reach and she gave Antonio a look that told him she would kill if he tried to grab it again.

"If you're not a magician, explain how this ended up miles from where you were. IN SOMEONE ELSE'S HANDS!"

"Someone else?" Jayden frowned. "Who had it?"

"Some guy stuffing his face," Serena shook her head, "It doesn't matter who had it. What matters is the fact that someone else had it! Someone who wasn't Antonio!"

Serena shoved the Samurai Morpher into Antonio's chest, "You dumbass! You're lucky the guy couldn't figure this phone out! You're lucky he has no idea how to use it, or even what it is! You're lucky a Nighlok didn't find it!"

"It was in my pocket the entire time," Antonio turned to Jayden, "I swear! I had it with me. I don't know what she's talking about."

"So you were ignoring us, then?" Jayden asked.

Antonio shook his head, "Ignoring you? No way, dude. I was listening to music so I wouldn't hear it ring, but it vibrates too!"

"Explain your missed calls," Jayden said. Antonio flipped open his morpher and gasped.

"Thirty-four missed calls?" Antonio gasped, "What? It must be broken, I never…"

Suddenly his morpher went off, both ringing and vibrating in his hand. Clearly it was working just fine. He looked up and saw Serena with her Samuraizer pressed to her ear. He gulped and answered the call, "Yes…"

"You're an idiot."

Serena hung up and crossed her arms over her chest. Antonio sighed.

"It must have slipped out of my pocket," he said. "I guess I did lose it. Sorry, guys. What did I miss?"

"Check your messages," Serena huffed and then walked out. Antonio turned to Jayden. The red Ranger still didn't look very impressed.

"I'm sorry?" Antonio tried. Jayden just shook his head. "I'm really sorry?"

"You could have been hurt," he said. "What if something happened to you? What if that Nighlok had come after you?"

"Which Nighlok?" Antonio frowned and then he remembered the messaged, "No way! What happened? Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Jayden nodded, "And we're lucky you're okay too. I almost went out of my mind running around town trying to find you."

"Sorry…"

"Didn't you notice the Megazord fight?"

"I, uh…" Antonio rubbed the back of his neck, "I was kind of in the zone… I didn't really notice much. I had no idea Serena was standing behind me until she nearly pushed me in the water."

"From now on, always make sure you have your Samurai Morpher with you," Jayden said, "Check constantly if you have to. We were lucky this time, but it could mean the difference between life and death and I don't want to lose you."

"Of course," Antonio nodded. He pulled Jayden in for a hug as he realized just how worried he must have made his team, but especially Jayden, "I'm really sorry, Jay. I'll be more careful from now on. I swear."

-Samurai-

Mia was sitting in the doctor's office, waiting for the results of her x-rays to come back. She was sure the Nighlok had broken at least one of her ribs, and getting herself check out by a doctor wouldn't hurt. Though if she was right, the doctor wouldn't be able to tell her anything she didn't already know.

She glanced at Kevin, who was sitting in the chair looking around at the different posters and signs on the wall. Some of them were about stopping the spread of germs, or the common cold, but there were quite a few up about pregnancy. It seemed the matter was really haunting him now.

He turned to Mia, "So you said you wanted a girl then a boy."

Mia looked at Kevin, somewhat surprised, "You remember that?"

"I do listen," he nodded, "It freaks me out. But I do listen."

"What do you want?" Mia asked. Kevin shrugged his shoulders.

"I guess a boy and a girl sounds good," he said, "One of each. I don't really care about the order, though."

"Have you ever thought of names?"

"I'm sure you have," Kevin chuckled.

Mia nodded her head, "For my daughter, I have. I wanted to name her after my grandmother."

"That's sweet," Kevin smiled, "What's her name?"

"Mako."

"I like it."

"It's not set in stone," Mia shrugged her shoulders, "It can always change."

"Why don't we see what happens," Kevin offered with a smile, "but it's on the table."

"You're not just saying that because you think I'm still mad, are you?"

"I like it," Kevin assured her.

"Really?"

"Yes, Mia. Do I lie to you?"

Mia smiled and shook her head. Just then, the door opened and the doctor walked in with the results from Mia's x-rays. As he set them up for Mia and Kevin could see, Mia could already tell she had broken a few ribs.

-Samurai-

Mike was sitting on his bed and reading through a few of his new comic books while enjoying his privacy. Since he had strangled her, Emily had opted to share a bedroom with her sister and Terran. It was all a part of the _"taking it slow"_ agreement she had made with him for their relationship. He wanted her back, his nights were rather lonely, but if there was an upside to this, it was that he had his own room. No one could bother him in here.

There was a knock on his door and he thought about ignoring it, but the door opened anyways. Emily stepped in and quickly closed the door behind her, leaving it open just a crack.

"Can we talk?" she asked him.

Mike set down his comic book and sat up, "Sure."

"Terran's really noisy at night," Emily said, "And waking up and seeing your sister breastfeeding in bed next to you is kind of… creepy."

"It's kind of creepy no matter where it happens, Em," Mike laughed, "At least, it is for me."

"It probably would be for you," Emily laughed and then she reached out into the hallway, "Anyways, the real reason I'm here is I want to ask you something."

"Anything."

"Serena's got a bunch of stuff in her room, and with my stuff it's so crowded. I was wondering if I could leave a few of my things in here."

"Like what?"

Emily pulled in a few picture frames from the hall, "Nothing really big. Just stuff like this."

"Yeah, sure," Mike nodded his head, "Your stuff fit in here before. I don't see why not."

"I've got a lot more than just this," Emily said. She put the picture frames on the bed and stepped out into the hallway.

Mike laughed, "I've got plenty of room."

"Can you help me move something?" Emily called from the hall. Mike chuckled and got up from the bed.

"What exactly are you bringing in that needs to be moved?" he asked as he made his way to the door.

"A box of stuff," Emily answered. "I can't lift it by myself."

"Why… not…" Mike trailed off slowly as he stepped out into the hall and saw Emily sitting in a box. On the front of the box it was written: _"Shit I don't want in my room – Serena."_

"Do you think all this stuff can fit in your room?" Emily asked.

Mike nodded his head. He grabbed the box and dragged it into the bedroom. Carefully, he dumped Emily onto the floor.

"I'm sure I can find room," he smirked, "There's a spot on the bed that just looks really empty."

"Yeah," Emily asked. She pulled Monkey the Ape from the box, "I think she'll work."

"I can think of something better," Mike said. He scooped Emily up in his arms and dumped her on her side of the bed. He lied next to her. "Now it feels right."

"So I can move back in?"

"Of course."

"You know, this doesn't mean we're right back where we left off," Emily warned Mike. "We're still just…"

"I know," Mike nodded. He sat up for a moment and reached for his comic book. He opened it up to the first page, "Want to read this with me?"

"Want to read it to me?"

"You can't read this?" Mike flipped through the pages quickly. Emily shook her head.

"I'm just tired from packing up all my stuff. There's still another box you need to bring in."

"How much stuff do you own?"

"Despite what it says on that box, Serena wasn't really thrilled about us sharing a room again. She hid most of my stuff and stacked some on high shelves!"

"She's still kind of mad, huh?"

"Kind of," Emily nodded, "but it doesn't really matter. She's still letting it happen. She's just making it a little harder."

Emily rested her head on Mike's chest, "So are you going to read or not? That book looks interesting."

-Samurai-

Antonio was beat. His had had the day off and knew he had nothing to complain about over the fact he was so exhausted but he was tired.

He walked into his room and pulled off his pants and shirt. He was way too tired to actually get changed into some night clothes. He pulled down the blankets and got under them before he leaned back into his bed and his head crashed right into the mattress.

"What? Oh, right," sometimes when he slept, he knocked his pillow right out of bed. He leaned over one side but his pillow wasn't there. He leaned over the other side; still no sign of his pillow. "Where did I…?"

"Looking for this?" he heard and Jayden turned on the lamp on his night table. Antonio saw the red Ranger holding up his pillow.

"Ha-ha, Jay…"

"Did you really think a hug was going to excuse you ditching us in battle?" the red Ranger shook his head, "Seriously, Antonio, you're lucky no one was hurt. We could have really used you. That Nighlok was tough to beat. A little help would have been appreciated, or at least an extra Ranger for the Nighlok to beat on."

"Jay, I'm really sorry. It never should have happened, I know…"

"And on top of that, you weren't even answering your calls," Jayden continued, "So we had a tough to beat Nighlok _and_ you were M.I.A. Nothing good has even come from a Ranger gone missing. Last time someone went missing… well, it was us with that really powerful Nighlok. Remember?"

"The day we all almost died?" Antonio nodded his head, "Yeah, Jay, I remember…"

"We thought something happened to you. I thought something happened to you. I know I'm still torn but I do care about you. I love you a lot as a best friend, and I really, really like you. If something happened…"

"I was perfectly fine. I was fishing, happy as a clam…"

"Antonio..."

"I get it. I really worried you," Antonio nodded his head and then he thought of something. He got out of bed and raced out of his room. When he came back, Jayden saw he was carrying a chain. Mike usually wore them on his jeans and it seemed Antonio had stolen it from Mike's pants.

"This is what happens when you leave your clothes lying around," Antonio chuckled. He attached one end of the chain to his pants and another to a cell phone case. Because his morpher was made from an old cell phone, it slipped right in the case; a perfect fit. Antonio smiled at Jayden, "Does this make you feel a bit better?"

"You'll never lose it?"

"I can't," Antonio smiled and tugged on the chain, "That way it can't fall out of my pants. Even if I don't answer, you'll still know where I am and you can check up on me."

"That does solve things… a little bit."

"A little?"

"I was still really, really worried."

"I'm fine, Jayden. Nothing happened. I mean, the most danger I was in was when Serena found me. I still can't feel my ear…"

"You don't get it, Antonio. I was really worried."

"I do get it. I…" finally it hit him, "Oh."

He walked over to Jayden's bed and crawled in. He gave the red Ranger a tight hug.

"See?" he said, "Perfectly fine."

Jayden nodded, "Good night, Antonio."

"Good night, Jay."


	21. The Key

Although things were starting to get easier for Serena now that James knew she was a Samurai, there was one thing that had gotten harder: going out.

Before he knew, Serena could get out of the house regularly to go see him. Part of keeping up the secret identity was making sure others actually believed she led a normal life. If she constantly refused to go out and see James, or any guy, really, one would start to wonder what kept her so busy.

But now that James knew, Serena had less of an excuse to ditch training, and couldn't leave home during a Nighlok attack for a date. It made getting together with her boyfriend much harder than it needed to be.

She had to decline his last few proposals for a date night, so to make it up to him; she was going to stay over at his place for one night. James even invited little Terran along. He figured if he was going to date mommy, he might as well get to know her son.

At first, Serena thought it was going to be awkward dating while the baby was around. She was sure she was going to have to get up all the time to care for her son, but for the most part, Terran was quiet. And when he did start up, James never had a problem letting Serena go. In fact, he usually went with her, and currently, he was changing the little boy's diaper and playing a game of silly faces while doing so. Terran was smiling up with sheer joy and James also seemed to be having fun.

Serena was a little more in love. She rested against the back of the couch as she watched her boyfriend play with her son. He was so gentle, so loving, and the entire scene was so cute Serena wanted to hug it. Not just James or Terran, but the entire scene. She had no idea why. It was just the way she felt.

When the diaper change was done, James picked up Terran and walked him back over to the couch. Both boys sat down next to Serena.

The earth Samurai smiled brightly. She wiggled her finger in front of Terran's face as a game while she looked at James, "So, you seem to possess this crazy ability to charm not only my little sister, but my baby boy as well."

"The boy's easier," James nodded, "Your sister… I charm out of fear."

"Do you mind if I…?" Serena took her son from James' hands, "I'm going to put him down for the night. I'll be ten minutes… more or less."

James got up with her, "I can help," he took the little boy back and walked to the guest bedroom, where a play pen was already set up for little Terran for the night, "My brother's daughter was usually very fussy before bed, but there was always a trick to getting her to sleep. It should work wonders on this little guy if he ever gets fussy. Not that he would, will you Terran? You're the best little man for your mommy, aren't you?"

Serena was thankful she wasn't holding Terran because she felt her knees go weak. She took a seat on the guest bed and started looking through the diaper bag for a pair of pyjamas for her son while James worked on getting Terran to settle.

She had help before with Terran. She was a single parent, but she had never really been single. With a house full of people who were in love with her son, it was easy to get them all involved. But the way James was helping her out felt different. It was less like an uncle, who needed to be told what to do, or an aunt, who would cuddle and play with the baby far longer than needed.

James was like a partner. A real partner in parenting, and it made her fall in love with him all the more. When they got Terran in his crib, and when he was fast asleep, the two of them snuck out of the room. James tried to head to the couch, but Serena pulled him into his bedroom.

-Samurai-

The following morning, Mike woke up with someone in his arms and a smile instantly lit up his face before he could even open his eyes. Emily had finally moved back into his room. After weeks of keeping her distance, things were finally starting to get back to normal. They were starting to go back to being a regular couple. There was still no ring on her finger, but he knew he still had her and always will.

He opened his eyes and through his morning fog he saw blonde hair. He reached down and gave her a kiss, right on the top of her head.

But something didn't feel quite right about it. It didn't feel like Emily. It didn't smell like Emily. He rubbed his eyes to get rid of the morning fog. As he did, he felt a wet tongue lick his face. Alarmed, he sat up and moved away. He opened his eyes again and realised the blonde he had kissed wasn't Emily.

"Scruffy," he shoved the dog, "get out of my bed."

As he tried to wipe the drool off his face, he heard the bedroom door open. He looked over and saw Emily coming in, already dressed for training.

"Good morning, sleepy head," Emily giggled. "Sleep well?"

"Right up until I realized I was spooning the dog," Mike muttered, "How long have you been up?"

"About two hours," Emily answered as she pointed to the clock. Mike saw he had slept in and missed training. Emily smiled and took a seat on the end of the bed, "I tried to wake you, but you were like a hibernating bear. I had Scruffy keep you company."

"Yeah, thanks," Mike glared at the dog. Scruffy tilted his head to the side. He had no idea what he did wrong. Mike just chuckled and gave the dog a pat.

Emily got up, "I've got to shower. Maybe after we can get some lunch? Will that make up for spooning the dog?"

"It's a start," Mike smirked as Emily disappeared into the bathroom for her shower. Mike got up out of bed. Apparently he had skipped breakfast completely by sleeping in, but it wasn't the first time, and certainly not the last.

So he did what he always did. He grabbed a shirt and a pair of pants and slipped them on. Emily's shower was going to take a couple of hours which gave him enough time to start a new level on his video game in the common room.

As he walked in, he saw Mia was sitting comfortably on the couch, and it looked like she had been there for a while. He furrowed his brow. She was watching his TV.

"Shouldn't you be showering or something? Doing your hair…?"

"I didn't train," Mia realized what Mike was getting at and chuckled, "That last Nighlok broke two of my ribs."

"Ouch," Mike took a seat on the couch, "Are you okay?"

"I was just told to take it easy," Mia nodded. She passed the remote over to Mike, "Video games, right?"

"Do you mind?"

"Just get me my book from the bookshelf," Mia said and pointed to the book she wanted. Mike happily obliged and handed her the book before he got his game started up.

-Samurai-

Serena never thought she would get this. At least, it was something she had only dreams about since learning she was pregnant.

It was a real family. Biology had nothing to do with it. In the morning, when Terran's crying woke Serena up from the best night of her life, she was surprised to find, when she opened her eyes, that James had already gotten up to get the little boy. He carried Terran in and gave Serena the privacy she needed to feed her son while he got started on breakfast. He had to be at work, but Terran woke them up early enough in the morning to give them a few hours together.

So James had taken advantage of his extra time and made waffles. When Serena and Terran walked into the kitchen, all that was left to be done was setting the table while James finished up. Serena set Terran down in his carrier and put the plates, the syrup, and the forks and knives on the table before she sat down with a meal with both Terran (James had moved his carrier onto a chair) and James.

"What?"

Serena was pulled from her thoughts by James' voice and realized she had been caught staring at him. She shook her head and smiled.

"Nothing."

"Seriously," James chuckled, "What? You've had that grin since… last night, now that I think about it."

Serena just shrugged and gestured to Terran, "You're really good with him."

"I like kids," James answered, "especially this little guy. We have fun, don't we, Terran?"

"It's just… that's really important for me," Serena said, "I mean, I said it was important you meet my sister, but screw her, Terran's really the one you have to get along with. He doesn't freak you out? Even a little bit?"

"Serena, I knew you were pregnant from day one," James laughed, "I knew your future was always going to have a kid in it. If it freaked me out, would you be here? In my home? At my kitchen table? The morning after?"

"Guys tend to freak out…"

"Losers freak out," James leaned forward and kissed her, "They're losers because they lost you."

"You don't have to kiss up," Serena smiled, "You already got me in bed."

James chuckled, "I'm serious. The pros outweigh the cons."

"There are cons?"

"Your sister freaks me out."

Serena laughed and rolled her eyes, "She's not going to break your nose, you know."

"I can't be too careful," James said. "Serena, unless you plan on staying single forever, you're going to have to meet a guy who is okay with all this. Whether it's sprung at him all at once, or piece by piece, it's not going to bother him. Why is it so hard to believe you've already found a guy like that?"

"Because you're unbelievable," Serena said with a smile and then lowered her head nervously, "I guess Mia was right about the whole fairy tale thing…"

"You can still be happy, you know," James nodded, "You made a few mistakes in the past but you're not doomed."

Suddenly, James saw the time and he jumped out of his chair, "Shit, Serena, I'm really sorry but…"

Serena saw the time as well, "Don't worry about it. Go to school. Tell Mitch I say hi."

"You thinking of coming back anytime soon?" James asked, "You solved the bullying crisis, but I don't think your work is done…"

"Once the principal accepts me back."

"I'll have a word with him," James said and he kissed Serena, "It's the least I can do after forcing you to quit."

"It's alright. I'm sure…"

"I insist," James hurried to the front door, "Don't worry about the dishes or anything. I'll do them when I get home. There's a spare key in the bowl so you can lock up when you leave and don't worry about returning it!"

In a flash, James was gone. Not the perfect way to end her perfect morning, but no family was ever perfect.

"C'mon little guy," Serena smiled and brought the carrier over to the counter, "James was nice enough to let us stay the night; the least we can do is the dishes."

Terran babbled something in return. Serena laughed.

"I don't care if he said not to worry about them. It'll take two minutes and then we'll go home and you can play with your Auntie Emy."

She did the dishes and got dressed. She gathered up her things and fixed herself up so the others wouldn't be able to guess what she had gotten up to the night before. They weren't going to want to know.

She took the spare key out from the bowl by the door and paused for a minute. James had told her she didn't need to return it, which translated to him giving her his key. A smile stretched from ear to ear as Serena closed the door and locked up.


	22. Serena's Near Fairy Tale

Serena couldn't hide the grin on her face as she walked back into the Shiba House. It was just a little key; a stupid piece of metal that people used to unlock doors; but it was a big deal for her. It was the key to James' apartment; the key to his house; the only place in the entire world where he could escape everyone and everything. It was such a small thing, such a simple gesture, but it meant the world to Serena.

She set Terran in his carrier on the floor of the common room. Mia was still reading her book on the couch. With her broken ribs, there wasn't much she could do. The pain medication helped, but moving was still something she preferred not to do, especially when Kevin was worried she would get hurt again.

"You'll never guess what happened," Serena sat down on the couch, unaware Mia's ribs were broken. The extra weight caused the cushions to bounce. Mia hissed.

"I broke my ribs."

"Oh… sorry," Serena realized what she had done but quickly moved past it, too happy to really care. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the key, "Look."

"Strange," Mia reached out and took the key, "The design. It seems so… genius. What is it?"

"Mia…"

"It looks like a bizarre metal contraption that fits inside many locks," Mia examined the key a little closer, and these edges… these must pick the locks for us, so doors open without much effort."

"You're being a party pooper," Serena huffed and she took the key back from Mia.

The pink Ranger laughed, "Can I blame the meds for this one?"

"That's what I used to do."

"So, what's so special about the key?" Mia asked, "We've got a bowl full of them."

"This key doesn't work in this house."

"So it's useless?"

"Nope," Serena shook her head, "Far from it."

"You're going to install a lock and hide the cookies in there so Emily can't get to them."

"No. Good idea, but no."

"You're going to lock Antonio's morpher onto him… somehow, and then throw away the key. He'll never lose it again."

"No! Mia where did I just come from," Serena rolled her eyes. She was sure Mia was doing this on purpose.

"The door," Mia pointed down the hallway.

"Before that."

"Outside."

"Before that."

"The bus."

"Mia…"

"I take it your sleepover with James went well," Mia chuckled and gently nudged the older woman with her foot. "He's given you his key. That's a big step."

Serena nodded her head. She rested against the back of the couch. She still couldn't wipe the grin off her face, "You know those fairy tales you keep dreaming of?"

"Yeah."

"I'm in one."

"You are?"

"You should have seen him with Terran, Mia. It was amazing. James was so… so fatherly. Terran had a blast. I've never seen him so happy."

Just down the hallway, Mike and Emily were coming home after their lunch date and they heard Serena and Mia talking. It was nothing uncommon, both women were very close, but the minute Emily heard James' name, she couldn't help but listen in. She had accepted the fact that her sister was dating him again, but she could never be too safe.

Mike was also intrigued. Serena was very much a sister figure to him and he wanted to make sure she was okay. The two of them stepped into the doorway of the common room. Serena had her back turned to them as she continued.

"It was real, you know," she said to Mia. "It felt like I finally managed to give Terran a real family, with a mom and a dad and…"

"Uh, what about Mike and Emily?" Mia asked when she noticed the two standing in the doorway. "I always kind of thought they could give Terran that family feel."

"Maybe," Serena shrugged, "I mean, I'm sure in a couple of years they'll grow into it. I mean, they're great as aunt and uncle, but this will be something steady for Terran. I'm a mom, and James is really ready to be a dad."

"If this sticks," Mia said and she glanced at the couple in the doorway, "I mean, that key is a big step, but it's no ring."

"Aren't you supposed to be pro-fairy tale?" Serena frowned.

"James gave you a key?" Emily asked, startling Serena. She turned around and saw Mike and Emily were standing a little ways behind her. She nodded her head and showed them the key.

"Yeah, look."

"So you're going to be going over to his place a little more often, huh?" Mike asked, crossing his arms over his chest, "That way Terran feels like he's part of a real family."

"I…" Serena suddenly turned back to Mia, "You…"

"Those words came out of your mouth," Mia shook her head and raised her hands defensively, "I tried to get you to correct yourself."

Serena gave Mia another look before she sighed and turned back to Mike and Emily, "Look, what I meant was…"

"You said what you meant," Mike shook his head. Emily started to tug on his arm.

"Mike, it's fine," she said as she tried to pull him away, "We are just the aunt and uncle. She's right."

"But…"

"Mike, it's fine," Emily repeated and pulled him away from the common room. Serena let out a sigh of relief and leaned back into the couch. Mia didn't seem so convinced.

"What are you smiling about?"

"She'll talk him down. She'll explain what I meant."

"She told you everything was fine."

"Yeah, so?"

"When Emily told you she wanted to move back into Mike's room, what did you tell her?"

"I told her she better be joking or else I would lock her in the closet," Serena said and then held up the key, "See."

"What did you say when you finally decided to let it happen?"

"How would you know?"

"I know it because we all say it. It's our code."

"What?"

"It's _fine_. It's fine that she move back in with Mike, just like its fine hearing you're _just_ the aunt and uncle. I don't even want to be called _just_ an aunt, and I'm honoured enough to be Auntie Mia."

"I… oh shit."

"Anyways, congratulation on the key," Mia gave Serena a gentle pat on the arm, "Regardless, that is a big step. I'm happy for you."

"Just when I thought everything was going well," Serena muttered and got up from the couch. She picked up Terran and started for her room, "One day. Can't I get just one day of happily ever after?"

"You marry the prince and then you live happily ever after," Mia called, "You just have a key!"


	23. Coming Out

After Antonio had gone missing, Jayden had learned something very important. He couldn't imagine a life without his gold Ranger.

He felt the exact same way he had when Amanda was missing. He had a bit more of a level head this time because he knew Antonio could take care of himself when it came to Nighlok, but his feelings had been the same. He had been terrified and couldn't possibly imagine the worst for fear of breaking down in front of the others.

Now he knew he had something with Antonio. It was something more than just best friends. Kevin and Mike were just best friends. Mia and Emily were just best friends. This was real. This was really happening.

"I want to tell the others."

Antonio stopped his sword mid-swing and stared at Jayden. They were in the dojo sparring. Aside from advice they hadn't said a word to each other, too focused on their training.

"What?"

"I want to tell the others."

"How you're winning 5-2? No surprise there, Jay. You're red for a reason."

"About us. I want to come out."

Antonio lowered his sword and scratched his head, "Okay, the coming out part is all up to you, but us?"

"They'll be fine with it…"

"I know but… this is complicated," Antonio said, "Telling the others would mean having to justify it."

"Justify what? We like each other."

"You like Amanda…"

"Amanda and I broke up," Jayden answered.

"But not indefinitely," Antonio shook his head. "Jay, I kind of want us to figure this out before we go around telling people about us."

"I do have this figured out, Antonio. I want to be with you."

"What about when Amanda comes back?"

"What about?"

"You'll have to choose."

"Antonio…"

"I don't want to get my hopes up if they're just going to be crushed. Announcing it is just going to make it official, then when it ends…"

Jayden cut him off when he pressed his lips against his. Antonio was completely shocked by the action, but fell into it eventually, placing his hand behind Jayden's neck to deepen the kiss.

When they pulled apart, Antonio breathed, "Wow…"

"She was my first girlfriend, Antonio," Jayden said, "that's always going to be special, but right now, I want this…"

"But later…"

"No one knows what's going to happen later," Jayden shook his head, "but I know it's going to be nothing if we don't work on this now. If we don't at least try. I'm coming out. Tonight, at dinner, I'm telling the others about me. Hopefully I can tell them about us too."

-Samurai-

After giving her sister and Mike enough time to cool down, Serena was going to try and do some damage control. She hadn't meant what she said but she could see how Mike and Emily would be hurt by her words. There was really no other way to take it. They had been there for Terran long before he was born. They were his real family and they were always going to be the ones to give him something a little normal. Serena wanted them to be involved. She wanted Auntie Emy to be more than just an aunt and Mike had really stepped into the father role. Hearing otherwise couldn't have been easy.

She knocked on their door, trying not to shutter at the thought of _"theirs"_. She'd forgiven the green Ranger, but she wasn't going to forget.

Emily greeted her at the door by simply opening it and turning around. Serena grabbed her arm.

"You misunderstood me," she glanced over at Mike and pointed to the bed, "Sit down, you two. We need to talk."

"It's fine," Emily muttered and took a seat on the bed, "We get it. We're Auntie Emy and Uncle Mike for a reason…"

"I'm not trying to take anything away from you two," Serena promised, "This is more for me, that real family feel. Terran's got no idea what I real family is. He couldn't care less. As long as someone changes his diapers, feeds him, and makes silly faces, he's happy."

"What's your point?" Mike asked.

"Steps are confusing."

"Step-parents? Not really."

"Mike…"

"You were right, okay. We're just the aunt and uncle. It's not like we're actually going to be there for every moment of Terran's life. Eventually you're going to move out, we're going to be somewhere else, and the only time we'll see him is on holidays, when we buy him really big and expensive gifts that he loves and he loves us for, but they make you hate us a little more. That's how this whole family thing works."

Serena turned to her sister, "Is that what you think too?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "I don't want that to happen…"

"Maybe real wasn't the right word," Serena sighed, "You guys are real. You're the real deal for Terran. James is just…"

"Let's pretend for a minute that James is the real deal," Mike said, "Let's pretend you and him get married. It's not going to matter when he came into the picture. Terran's not going to remember these first few years. All he's going to know is that there was always one man who's been there for him. Dad. That's how I see it."

"So, I can't get married because that would mean someone else, besides you, gets to play dad to _my_ son?" Serena asked, a little put off by Mike's comment. Then she shook it off. That was another point entirely, and it wasn't even the point that could be discussed until the key in her pocket turned into a ring on her finger. "Look, guys, this is what I meant. Terran, as cute and adorable as he is, is a burden. I can't remember the last time I got to sleep in. I can't remember when I got a night to myself without worrying about being a bad mom because I'm not with him. He's a lot of work. He's my a lot of work."

"But we…"

Serena held up a hand, "You two are young. Mike, you're still just out of high school and Emy, you should still be in high school."

"So?"

"The last thing you guys need right now is a baby. You're not ready for it, but that's a good thing. I want you guys to be with Terran all the way. I don't care if his first word is Emy or Mikey, or dada… or whatever. You are his family. But… you're not just… James and I are older. We're ready for this. I had to be and he's… he's just ready _when_ and _if _we take that step."

Mike and Emily exchanged looks. A part of them understood what Serena was saying, but there was something else. Serena was sending out another message while trying to dig herself out of this hole, and she had no idea.

Serena looked at the two, "You're always going to be part of Terran's life, but right now just… enjoy this. You're young, you're free, and aside from being a Samurai, you've got nothing to worry about. You've always got an in but just… don't jump in before you're ready. Okay?"

Mike and Emily sighed and nodded their heads. Serena smiled. She gave them both a hug, happy she got this sorted.

Emily closed the door behind her as she left and then looked to Mike.

"I'm tired of being just a kid," she muttered.

"You got that feeling too?"

Emily nodded, "Someone had to be the youngest on the team, right? It just so happens to be us. It's no big deal."

"Do you think the others feel the same way?" Emily sat down on the bed.

"And how exactly do you think they feel?"

"Like we're still just… kids."

Mike shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know."

Suddenly there was another knock on the door. Antonio poked his head in.

"Guys, dinner's ready. We're eating at the table."

"What's the occasion?" Mike frowned. "Are we celebrating Serena getting a key?"

"Actually, it's something else," Antonio couldn't hide his smile, "Jayden and I have an important announcement to make."

Mike bit his lip to keep himself from smiling and giving away the fact that he already knew. He took Emily's hand and got up. They followed Antonio to the kitchen where everyone else was already seated around the table, ready to eat.

Before they could dig in, Jayden cleared his throat, "So, um…"

"You're doing the big announcement now?" Kevin asked. He leaned back in his chair, "Alright. I thought you would wait until dessert."

Jayden looked nervously to Antonio, asking for help. The gold Ranger just smiled.

"C'mon, Jay, there's really no way to say it exact just coming out."

Jayden chuckled. He nodded his head, "I'm bi."

Mike was grinning wildly. Mia and Serena, who had known Jayden had been struggling with this for a while, we're happy to see he had finally figured it out. Mentor was trying to look shocked, though he had figured it out when he accidentally overheard Jayden talking on the phone with Amanda.

Emily dropped her fork. Kevin's eyes looked like they were going to come out of his head.

"I'm sorry. Say that again…" he asked.

Jayden nodded, "I'm bisexual. I like guys and girls."

"I know what it means," Kevin said, "I just… whoa…"

"Like… confused or…"

"For real," Jayden answered Emily. "It's not a phase, it's not a transition. It's… it's like liking both chocolate and vanilla ice-cream. You have no preference."

Jayden cast a quick look over at Mia. She smiled and nodded her head.

"I guess, congratulations," she smiled. "I'm happy for you."

The rest of the table nodded their heads except for Kevin. He was still trying to process it all.

"Don't get me wrong," he told the red Ranger, "I'm happy for you, I just… how did you find out? How do you… I mean what… triggered it?"

Jayden blushed and looked down at his plate. Antonio cleared his throat, shifting the attention over to himself.

"I believe I may have had something to do with that," he smiled proudly, "I mean, who can resist this?"

He gestured to himself, earning a few laughs.

"This has been going on for a while," Jayden nodded, "but Antonio and I… we've just started…"

"Dating?" Mike asked, trying to help his red Ranger along a little bit.

"So, when Antonio wasn't answering his morpher, you were freaking out because you had no idea where your boyfriend was," Serena said, finally putting the pieces together. "Aww, look at little Jay-Jay. He's growing up."

"Hey," Jayden laughed, "Need I remind you this is not my first relationship. If anyone's all grown up, it's Antonio. I'm his first boyfriend."

Serena realized the red Ranger was right. She ruffled Antonio's hair, "Aw, Antonio."

The table once again congratulated the new couple. Jayden felt quite relieved now that the truth was out and his friends knew what he had been hiding from them recently, but there was one thing that was a little more important. He turned to Mentor Ji, his father, but before he could lock eyes with the older man, Ji raised his glass.

"Good luck to Jayden and Antonio," he toasted and finally turned to his son with a smile and a nod.


	24. Growing Up

The question _"What about Amanda"_ was still floating around in his mind, but Jayden could ignore it more and more. His feelings for his ex-girlfriend weren't fading away, but Jayden was getting a better idea of what he wanted. Amanda meant a lot to him. Antonio meant a lot to him as well, but in so many more ways than Amanda did. He was starting to feel like his relationship with Antonio was the real deal. It was what he wanted, more than anything. He hated knowing he would have to break Amanda's heart, but reminded himself that if it wasn't meant to be, it wasn't meant to be. He only wished he could tell her now.

He was in his room, getting changed for bed. He wasn't tired just yet, but he figured why not get into his pyjamas. He was just going to read in bed and likely fall asleep anyways. He got settled and opened up his book. Shortly after, Antonio came in and got changed as well. Then, instead of going into his bed, he climbed into Jayden's and lay beside him.

"Being official feels really… cool," he smiled. "Think about it, Jay. We're a couple."

Jayden smiled and nodded his head. He felt the very same way.

"It's weird," he said, "This isn't how I imagined my life."

"It's not forever yet," Antonio smirked, "But there is that chance now, huh?"

Jayden nodded, "Antonio, you remember our conditions. When I figured out who I wanted I had to tell you."

"Yeah."

"I choose you."

"Jay…"

Antonio sat up and looked at his boyfriend, "You can take your time. Just because we're official…"

"I'm serious, Antonio," Jayden smiled and took the gold Ranger's hand, "Amanda was great, and I hope she'll be as understanding about all this as you are but I just… I feel it more with you. I still love her, but I love you more. You're my best friend in every sense of the word. That's what I want in life. That's what I want for a partner. A best friend."

Antonio was grinning happily, like he had just won the lottery (in a way, he had). He leaned back, this time he was resting against Jayden.

"I love you too."

Jayden smiled. He leaned down and gave Antonio a quick kiss.

-Samurai-

Serena took a big breath. The last thing she wanted was Mia to poop on this party, but she needed to tell someone.

After setting Terran down for bed, Serena went out to find her pink sister. Getting the key to James' home wasn't the only big thing to happen to her and Serena wanted to share in the excitement. This wasn't something she wanted to share with the boys, and she had no idea how Emily would react so she wanted to test her news on Mia first.

Mia was still sitting on the couch. She seemed to be enjoying her recovery time and using all the time she would have been training to catch up on some recreational reading. Serena felt rude for interrupting again but was sure Mia wouldn't mind once the matter came up.

"The key isn't the only thing," Serena said as she took a seat, this time being careful to lower herself down onto the couch slowly so as not to aggravate Mia's ribs.

The pink Ranger stared at her for a moment before her eyes widened, "He did give you a ring!"

"No," Serena shook her head, "You were right. We're not there yet. That's still up in the air."

"So what else?"

"Think about it, Mia. I spent the night as his place."

"Did you… never mind," Mia shook her head. Serena groaned.

"Mia…"

"You brought Terran with you so you couldn't have…"

"James has a spare room."

The book fell out of Mia's hands and hit the floor. The pink Ranger was paralyzed in shock and Serena could only sit and wait for some kind of response; good or bad.

Finally, Mia blinked, "Is it Samurai mating season? First Antonio and Jayden, now you and James? Should I be keeping an eye on Mike and Emily too for a shotgun wedding?"

"Don't even joke…"

"I was just saying," Mia shrugged her shoulders, "So you and James… you really… did it?"

"Had sex," Serena nodded.

"Protected, I hope."

"I learned my lesson after last time," Serena quickly nodded her head, "It was safe. Very safe."

"Well, uh… congratulations, again."

"You don't sound too congratulatory."

"I have received a lot of news in the last eight hours," Mia said, "It's still processing. But I am happy for you, Serena. As long as you know what you're doing."

"As long as James doesn't kidnap me and an ex-girlfriend of his tries to kill me, I'm happy and have no regrets. I really, really like him."

"I got that part," Mia chuckled. "So, how did it happen?"

Serena smiled, "Like I said before. He was really good with Terran."

"You used your son to have sex?"

"No!" Serena sounded shocked but she did laugh. It did sound like that, but that wasn't how it happened, "Of course not. I just… watching him with Terran made me fall a little more in love and I knew it was time. I was ready."

"James does seem like a really good guy. I mean, he's no Kevin, but…"

"You can keep Kevin," Serena smirked, "James is so much better and he's all mine."

"I'm glad you're happy, Serena. I really am. I just want to make sure you're not jumping into this. After my parents divorced, mom had a few shaky relationships because she was looking for the wrong thing. She wanted what she had. Obviously that didn't work out for her the first time."

"I'm being careful, Mia, I promise, but thanks, that means a lot," Serena reached forward and gently hugged Mia.

When they pulled apart, Serena looked down at her hands nervously, "Mia."

"Yeah."

"There's one more thing."

What more could there be?"

"What do I tell Emy?"

Mia's expression fell, "You, uh… well, you just…uh…"

"A part of me says I don't need to tell her anything. It's my business."

"But she's your sister."

Serena nodded and sighed, "I was thinking… maybe if I gave her a little more time to get to know James. She's still kind of iffy around him, right? She's not going to like hearing this. When she's a little more comfortable with him, when I'm a little more sure about what's happening, then I can tell her how serious this is."

"Sounds like a plan," Mia nodded, "After all, your business is… your business."

"Just do me a favour and don't spread this around."

"Damn. There goes my nightly talk with Kevin about your sex life."

"Mia," Serena lightly shoved the pink Ranger, "Keep your mouth shut."

"Who am I going to tell? It's your business."

"Thanks."

Outside the room, in the hallway on the other side of the wall, Emily was sitting on the floor with Scruffy. She had come inside from playing ball with him and heard her sister and Mia talking about James again.

She had heard everything. From start to finish. She looked at her dog sadly and listened to the sound of Serena getting up and heading off to bed while Mia flipped the page of her book to keep reading.

"How old do you have to be before people stop treating you like a kid?" Emily whispered to Scruffy who looked up at her like he knew how she felt. She gave him a pat on the head. "At least you take me seriously. And Mike. You know, technically you're our baby."

Scruffy sat down and placed his head in Emily's lap. Emily stroked his fur.

Mike came around and took a seat on the other side of the hallway. He looked at Emily.

"What's up?"

"Serena and James had sex."

Mike winced, "Yeah, I don't want to know this stuff, Em."

"Serena doesn't want me to know either." Emily shrugged.

Mike gave her a look, "So how do you know, then?"

"She and Mia don't seem to realize the world doesn't put in earplugs when they have private conversations."

"You should stop eavesdropping. I don't think you're going to hear something you like."

"You know, Scruffy's our baby," Emily pointed to the dog. Mike shot her another strange look.

"What?"

"You remember when Serena said we weren't ready to grow up."

"She didn't say that exactly, Em."

"You know that's what she meant," Emily said and then she looked down at the dog, "Scruffy's not a baby, I get that, but he's perfectly fine. We were ready for that. And isn't a part of growing up being able to understand what you are and aren't ready for?"

"Are you trying to tell me you want a baby?"

"I don't want a baby. Not yet," Emily shook her head and Mike breathed out a huge sigh of relief. Emily chuckled at his reaction, "Don't worry. I know we're not there yet. I was just saying: aren't we grown up enough to know where we are and what we need to do."

"She was saying we're too young to be asked to be committed to Terran," Mike said. "Most kids our age…"

"Have never even been engaged before," Emily muttered. "We're not like most kids. We're not kids. Not anymore, but they still see us as kids, don't they? They still think we need looking after. Serena tells Mia about James, but doesn't want to tell me just yet. I'm not best friends with James, but I know how to be happy for my sister. I know I had a hard time with it at first, but I do understand that he makes her happy. And even if I wasn't happy for her. Even if I did think she was making a mistake, how could I tell her? How can I talk to her and grow up if she won't let me?"

"I'm sure she'll tell you eventually," Mike shrugged his shoulders but he couldn't help but feel the same way. He wasn't the baby of the Samurai, but he was still the little brother. Everyone expected that from him. Everyone expected screw ups and mistakes from him. He thought he had come to terms with it as just another part of his personality, but now his eyes were open a little more. It was a stage in his life he couldn't get past. Everyone else was keeping him stuck there. The silly, reckless little brother who needed a good smack in the back of the head before he got his butt into gear and fixed his own mistakes. He wasn't that person anymore, but the others still saw him as such.

Emily shook her head at Mike's comment, "She'll only tell me about her and James when she thinks I'll get along better with him. You know, like what a mom does with her five year old. Before introducing James as a potential father, she's going to make sure they get along."

"We need to grow up first," Mike told Emily with a smile. "I get what you're saying. I really do, Em, and if the others aren't going to let us show we're just as… adult as they are, we have to show them."

He got up from the floor and took Scruffy's ball. The dog jumped up, always ready for a game of catch. Mike tossed the ball down the hall.

"Go get it, boy," he said as Scruffy raced off. Mike held his hand out to Emily and helped her to her feet, "C'mon. It's getting late and all this adult talk made me tired."

Emily nodded her head and then laughed, "Remember, Mike, it's this blonde you want to cuddle," she pointed to her hair and then pointed to Scruffy as he came running back with the ball, "Not that one."

"You put him in our bed when I was asleep! You know how stupid I am in the morning," Mike playfully tickled her sides. Scruffy dropped the ball at Mike's feet and the green Ranger kicked it down the hall again. Scruffy stared at him for a minute. Mike shrugged, "If you bring it back, Scruffers, I'm just going to keep throwing it away."

Scruffy raced off after the ball and Mike and Emily went off to bed.


	25. Giggles and Grins

Kevin was surprised to be hearing grunts and cries from the dojo. Morning training had passed, and no one had seemed very interesting in training for an entire day. Antonio and Jayden were going on their first public date in town and were already out of the house. Mike and Emily had gone out as well, saying they needed to go to the park on a walk (why it was _needed_, Kevin didn't bother asking). Serena was always too busy taking care of Terran to train. In fact, outside of regular hours (if Terran permitted), Kevin didn't think he could remember a time Serena even held a sword, never mind practiced, since the birth of her son.

He certainly wasn't training, and unless Mentor was using his down time to get a few hours in, that left only one person.

He shook his head as he stood in the doorway, "The doctor told you to take it easy."

Mia stuck out her tongue and blew a raspberry.

Kevin chuckled, "Very mature."

"Xandred's sending out Nighlok on a regular basis again," Mia said and winced as she swung her sword and smacked the dummy. Kevin didn't know what hurt more: the dummy or Mia's ribs. "I can't sit out a fight."

"Mia…"

"So I'm trying to figure out the best way to fight without hurting myself," Mia continued, "A way to protect my ribs, but still help you guys out. You know I hate feeling useless."

"You're not useless. We've all skipped out on a few battles. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

"Who are you and what have you done with Kevin?" Mia lowered her sword and stared at the blue Ranger. Then she laughed. The old Kevin, the Kevin she first knew when she came to the Shiba House over a year before, never would have encouraged anyone to sit out a battle. If anyone thought Jayden was strict with the win or die trying motto, they would be surprised by Kevin. His father had enforced the Samurai honour onto him from a very young age and taught him that a warrior never backs down, no matter the odds. As long as Kevin would breathe, he could fight, and he should fight.

Kevin shrugged his shoulders and he walked into the dojo, picking up a sword, "I'm learned a lot. What's the point of going into battle if you're going to be taken out easily? Maybe even killed. I think we would all rather you sit back, at least for a few more days."

"I'm fine, Kevin. Just help me think of something."

Kevin nodded, knowing that would be her answer.

"We're partners, right," he smiled, "Find a way to wield the sword with as little pain to your ribs as possible. If a Nighlok does come, I can block his attacks. You won't take any hits, and we can still take him down."

Mia nodded her head, happy for the compromise. She didn't like Kevin offering himself as a punching bag for the Nighlok, but she understood what he meant. Right now she couldn't take hits. If she fell or if she got hit, she could worsen the injury. Kevin could survive a few extra punches, but it wasn't likely she would be able to make it through one.

"Sounds like a plan," she said and smacked the dummy again. It still hurt, but less than before.

-Samurai-

"People are staring," Jayden muttered before biting into his sandwich. He was public about his relationship with his friends, but he and Antonio still weren't ready to be truly public with, well, the public just yet.

But some people in the restaurant seemed to be picking up the signs that he and Antonio weren't just hanging out, they were on a date. For the most part, the other tables just left them alone. A few awkward stares at first realization, but then there was a shrug, and they went back to their own business.

Some tables, though, seemed extremely appalled by the sight. Antonio was a little more comfortable with it now. He had flirted a couple of times in public and knew he would forever receive a few stares from people appalled at the idea of same sex relationships, but he had learned to shrug them off. Who were they to judge?

"You know, the only way they can win is if you let them," Antonio chuckled as he reached across the table and took Jayden's hand, "I mean, really, what kind of danger are we to them? It's not like we're going to be stealing their chicks, right?"

Jayden shrugged his shoulders, "It's just… they won't stop with the evil looks."

"So ignore them," Antonio smiled. "We're happy, that's all that matters. If they can't accept that, screw them."

Jayden nodded his head and gave his boyfriend a smile, "You're right."

"Aren't I always?"

"Not always," Jayden chuckled, "But often enough."

He cast a quick glance back at the table that was staring at him. Antonio could see their looks were still making Jayden uncomfortable so he turned around.

"You know, the church once said the Earth was flat and they were proven wrong."

Now that they were being confronted, the table of people averted their gaze and looked down at their meal. One of them muttered something Antonio didn't ever wish to repeat, but he wouldn't call him out on it. These people seemed to be non-confrontational and he wasn't going to start a fight.

He turned back around and smiled at Jayden, "Wanna bet they'll leave before us?"

Jayden chuckled, "You're going to stay just to drive the crap out of them, aren't you."

"I want apple pie," Antonio pointed to the dessert menu, "They can do what they want. They have that right and so do we."

"We're never going to get rid of the stares, are we?"

Antonio shook his head sadly, "Unfortunately, no. But you can stare right back. It makes them uncomfortable. I did it with this one woman on the bus. I have no idea why she was staring at me…"

"She could probably hear your music through your headphones," Jayden chuckled, "You really set the volume high, don't you."

"Regardless," Antonio smirked, "I caught her staring I stared back. She realized she was caught, felt awkward and looked away. Is the table staring at you again?"

"The one guy is," Jayden glanced quickly.

"Stare back," Antonio said, "What's he going to do? Try to beat up the red Samurai Ranger?"

Jayden chuckled and then glared back, giving the man his dirtiest look for only a split second before he turned away again. Jayden shook his head.

"Wow, you're right."

"I'm always right."

"Two out of two doesn't mean you're always right."

"Uh, yeah it does," Antonio nodded his head knowingly, "That's a hundred percent, mi novio."

Jayden chuckled, "Novio, huh? What happened to amigo?"

"Kevin and Mia are mi amigos," Antonio smirked, "You're more than that."

"I like it," Jayden nodded his head and smiled brightly. He saw the people at the other table were staring at him and Antonio again but he didn't care. This time, instead of staring back, he just leaned forward and stole a kiss.

The waitress came back, a smile on her face, "Ready for dessert?"

-Samurai-

"Emily?" Serena called as she searched around the house for her little sister, knowing the yellow Ranger had to be around somewhere. "Emily! Come out; come out, wherever you are."

"You can call all you want," Kevin chuckled, "but unless you use a phone, she's not going to hear you."

"What? Why?"

"She and Mike went to the park. They needed to get out."

"She didn't tell me," Serena frowned, "Why would she leave and not tell me?"

"She told me," Kevin shrugged his shoulders, "Why does it matter?"

"She knows I worry," Serena passed Terran to Kevin and pulled out her Samuraizer.

Kevin watched with a slight shake of the head. He looked down at Terran, "Mommy's a worry wart, isn't she?"

"Emily?" Serena said when she got her sister on the other end, "Why didn't you tell me you were going out?"

Kevin looked down at Terran again, "I think her maternal instincts flared when you were born."

"Next time," Serena continued on the phone, "Can you please tell me when you head out? I was going to ask you to watch Terran while I ran out to get some more baby wipes."

"I can watch him," Kevin said and it was loud enough for Emily to hear on the other end. Serena just shook her head.

"I was kind of hoping you could play with him while I was gone. He always smiles real big when he's with you."

"You'll smile for me, won't you?" Kevin asked Terran but the little boy just stared up. Kevin rolled his eyes, "Obviously not right now."

"Fine. You know what kind to buy? Thanks, Emy."

Serena hung up and sighed. She took her son back from Kevin, "Well, there goes my weekly adventure to the store. Emily's going to pick up some wipes on the way back."

"So, you don't like when I babysit him, huh?"

"It's not that," Serena shook her head, "He's always in a good mood when I take him back from Emily. I think he likes her best."

"She is mommy 2.0, right?" Kevin shrugged, "but she's the fun mommy. Especially when he gets older and you have to start disciplining him."

"Don't remind me," Serena sighed, "I dread the day."

-Samurai-

"She needs you, huh?" Mike chuckled as he carried the bag with the baby wipes up to the Shiba House. After Serena's call, Emily wanted to go home right away, but of course stopped for the wipes. She nodded her head.

"When she needs me to help her with something, that's when I'm grown up enough to share," Emily muttered. Mike shrugged his shoulders.

"I wouldn't say grown up. My parents had me running to the store to buy milk since I was ten."

"Me too," Emily giggled, "Only running to the store to get milk was more of… getting the milk myself."

"You were milking cows?"

"It's fun. I'll teach you one day."

"No thank you," Mike shook his head, "I'd rather not see where my milk comes from."

"Not directly," Emily said as Mike opened the door and walked into the house. She followed him, "Besides, it's really cool!"

They stepped into the common room and Mike set the bag down on the table while Emily looked at the couch. Serena had fallen asleep watching TV, and Terran was on her chest, staring at the television intriguingly. He had never seen it before. Emily shut off the TV and lifted the boy out of his mother's arms.

"We don't want to turn you into a zombie like Uncle Mike just yet," she said and laid him down on a blanket on the floor. Already she could tell his diaper needed to be changed. "We'll wait a few more years before we let TV babysit you."

"Hey, I turned out just fine," Mike said as he sat down next to Emily to help with the diaper change, knowing that occasionally it was a two man job.

Emily pulled the diaper bag closer and quickly changed the soiled diaper with a clean one. She passed the dirty diaper to Mike who went to dispose of it before it stunk up the house.

When he came back, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Giggling, and it wasn't coming from any of the other Rangers. He raced to the common room and he saw and heard what he thought would take another few weeks at least. Terran was giggling.

Emily blew into his stomach again and the giggles grew louder and Terran was even happier. He was having the time of his life with his Auntie Emy. Emily looked down at him, and then held her face right over his stomach, "Uh oh!" she said and shook her head, letting her hair tickle Terran's skin and causing him to smile. Then she blew again on his stomach and he laughed.

"Guys, I'm trying to nap," Serena groaned and rolled over on the couch.

"Serena, he's laughing," Mike said and realized Serena was probably too tired to figure out it was her son making all the noise.

"Of course he's laughing," she replied, "Emily sounds ridicu…"

First she trailed off. Mike assumed she was letting the sound of her son's laughter sink in. Then she sat up straight and stared at the sight so her eyes could take it in. After all, she couldn't believe it if she couldn't see it. Then, finally, like a rocket, she jumped up off the couch and landed beside Emily.

"How do you do that?" she asked, "I've been trying to get him to laugh for days."

"He just needs some special playtime," Emily answered and then spoke to Terran in a language no one understood, but it made Terran giggle so loudly the other Samurai were drawn in from other rooms.

"No way," Mia's jaw was almost on the floor, "He laughs?"

"Emily got him to laugh," Mike nodded, "She's on a roll too. He won't stop."

"I love baby laughs," Mia raced over to try and join in. Emily got up from her spot, feeling a little light headed from blowing on Terran's stomach and making all the funny noises.

But Terran wouldn't laugh anymore. Not when Mia tried or even when Serena tried. He seemed to be done.

"You killed it, Mia," Kevin teased.

"I'll get him soon," Mia said and tickled Terran's stomach. She got a smile, but no laugh. She shrugged and got back up. Her special moment would come soon.

"You have to tell me how you do that," Serena said to Emily as she picked Terran up.

"I'm the fun aunt," Emily shrugged her shoulders. She pointed to the table, "We bought your wipes. Do you need anything else?"

"No, but thanks, Emy."

Emily nodded her head and the looked at Mike. She felt a little better than she had before hearing Terran's laugh. Now there was something she could do that all the others couldn't. Something they needed her for. Terran had slowly stopped laughing as the others gathered around. Emily had seen it on his face. The more people around, the harder it was to get the giggles out, so she had quit while she was ahead, and it seemed no one else after her could get the same response.

Mike felt the same way too. He hadn't been the one to get Terran to laugh, but he had been there as it happened and Terran had been laughing at the thing he shared in common with Emily. They were still kids. They were still ridiculous and fun and if that made Terran laugh, Mike was proud to be the kid brother. He wanted to grow up, but it would happen eventually. Right now, he could still enjoy being a kid.

So as Emily walked away, he chased after her and tickled her sides. She jumped and squealed and tried to get him back, but he was too fast for her. Eventually she decided to just run away, with Mike right on her heels.

Kevin just shook his head and laughed, "Kids, huh?"


	26. Switcheroo

Serena was starting to wonder if it was her.

It had been nearly a week now since Emily had first gotten Terran to laugh, and as hard as everyone tried, no one else could get the little boy to giggle like his Auntie Emy. He would grin and coo, but laughter was reserved only for Emily.

She knew Terran loved her. He would always smile when she was near and she had the easiest time calming him down. She was his mother after all. But he refused to laugh for her. She didn't know why. She had been the one to get Emily to laugh. She had acted like a total doofus to achieve that milestone with Emily, but she knew she could do it.

"He's not going to laugh if you're not smiling," Antonio said, pulling Serena out of her thoughts. The weather was really starting to warm up and people were getting out more and more, the Samurai included. Antonio thought this would be the perfect time to start up his grill and sell some fish on the streets and he had invited the others to join him on a sort of picnic. Kevin and Mia had opted to stay home, but Jayden, Serena, Emily, and Mike had all come out for some fun.

He set up his table at the flea market, hoping to pull in a little extra business from hungry shoppers. People were buying and selling what Serena had called junk, but that was still exciting enough to pull Mike and Emily away from the picnic. Serena was sure they were going to come back with a lot of junk, but they were wasting their own money, so it was their problem.

Serena pushed the stroller back and forth to keep Terran settled. The last thing she wanted while out in public was a screaming baby.

"Am I not funny?"

"You're plenty funny," Antonio assured her and Jayden nodded his head, "When you choose to be."

"For Terran, at least," Jayden said, "For us…"

"She's funny," Antonio quickly jumped in and shot Jayden a look.

Serena rolled her eyes, "I know what you were going to say."

"My ear still hurts," Antonio frowned. Serena stuck out her tongue.

"Where's your morpher?"

The gold Ranger was quick to pull it out and Serena noticed he had it attached to a chain on his pants. She smirked.

"You learned your lesson?"

Antonio nodded his head before suddenly he felt a dull pain in his back. He frowned and wanted to scratch but suddenly blacked out. Jayden and Serena watched Antonio slowly sink to the ground and lay on his side. They frowned and looked at each other.

"Uh… Antonio?" Jayden called but Antonio wouldn't respond. He simply sucked in his cheeks to make fish lips.

Suddenly, Jayden saw Serena sink to the ground and she lay on her back, spread eagle. He frowned again and scratched the back of his head.

"Um, guys…" he turned around and saw a few other people on the streets were also standing, sitting, or laying in very strange positions, as if they were doing yoga. Jayden didn't understand it. He didn't get out much, but he knew this wasn't normal behaviour.

"Jayden, duck!" he heard Mike shout and he ducked just in time as Emily's Earth Slicer soared over his head. He followed it with his eyes and saw it had just missed a Nighlok. He grumbled and groaned and wondered how he didn't see that one coming.

Mike and Emily were already morphed and rushed into battle. Jayden looked around again. A few people were starting to run away, so he couldn't morph in plain sight.

Just as he was about to find a place to morph out of the screaming public's eyes, one familiar scream reached his ears and he remembered Terran in the stroller.

"Dammit…" he muttered and grabbed the handles. As he did, he felt something hit his back and he blacked out.

"What did you do to him?" Mike shouted and charged at the Nighlok while Emily pushed Terran behind the table Antonio had set up. It wasn't the safest place to hide the infant, but she had no other option.

Mike was thrown through the air by the Nighlok and he landed in a heap on the cement. He struggled to get up while Emily held off the Nighlok. She was quickly disarmed and slashed across the chest. She sunk to her knees and Mike raced over to her.

"Em…" he knelt down beside her. Emily nodded her head.

"I'm okay."

"This is too easy," the Nighlok laughed and two tentacles, the same two Mike noticed he had hit Jayden with, as well as a gnome, right before the red Ranger froze up, came shooting out of his hands. Mike covered Emily, knowing there was really no way he could stop this attack.

"Not so fast," Kevin shouted as he jumped in the way and deflected both tentacles with his Spin Sword to protect Mike and Emily.

Behind the Nighlok, Mia raced over and slashed. She could hold off the Nighlok for a few seconds before she felt a sharp pain in her ribs and for a moment, she was vulnerable. It was the perfect opening for the Nighlok who struck her again, this time with a tentacle. His other tentacle shot out down the street and touched a fan. Mia powered down and stood perfectly straight, just for a quick second before her body, from the waist up, started to turn back and forth.

"Mia!" Kevin shouted.

The Nighlok chuckled before turning to run in the direction of the fan he had just hit, "if I destroy the fan, bye bye pink Ranger!"

"No!" Kevin shouted and he slashed the Nighlok down his back. The Nighlok, for the first time, fell to the ground and rolled. He let out a frustrated groan. No one bested him and got away with it. Quickly, before Kevin had the time to do anything to protect himself, he shot the blue Ranger with a tentacle, and the touched a music box. The box sprang open, revealing a twirling ballerina and Kevin powered down and stood, imitating the ballerina's pose.

"No way," Mike muttered as he finally caught on to what was happening. The Nighlok was switching everything with inanimate objects. His victims would then pose like the objects they had been switched.

"Darn it!" the Nighlok muttered and looked down at his stomach. His skin began to peel and crack, "I'm drying out already!"

Then, just as quickly as he had appeared, the Nighlok disappeared in a Gap.

"No!" Mike shouted and jumped to his feet, "Come back!"

He powered down and ran to the spot the Nighlok had disappeared, hoping his screams could call the monster back though he knew it was useless.

Emily powered down as well and walked over to where she had put Terran. She picked him up out of the stroller and rocked him as he cried for comfort. She looked down at Antonio, who was still on the ground, perfectly still. On the other side were Serena and Jayden; Serena on the ground and Jayden standing with one arm up at shoulder height and his wrist and fingers curled in.

"What happened to them?" Emily asked as Mike came back to her with a shake of his head.

"That Nighlok switched them with all this… stuff," Mike said and showed Emily what was in his hands. He had seen the Nighlok switch Kevin and Mia into a ballerina and a fan and had collected the objects so as not to lose them. "Meet Mia and Kevin."

"I guess ballerina's are kind of like princesses," Emily shrugged. Mike chuckled and shook his head.

"This is Kevin," he pointed across the street and Emily saw Kevin was in the same pose as the ballerina. She couldn't help but laugh as well.

Mike pointed to Serena and Jayden, "The Nighlok must have gotten them too. What are they?"

"Uh…" Emily looked around. Their objects had to be near. It was then, on a table, Emily saw a gnome standing exactly like Jayden. She set Terran back in his stroller and ran over to pick up the little porcelain bearded man.

Mike walked around the table and saw Antonio. He knew down and looked at the gold Ranger's face. He imitated Antonio's sucked in cheeks as the smell of burning fish reached his nostrils.

"Fish lips!" Mike called out and jumped out, pulling the fish right off the grill with nothing but his hands, "OW! HOT!"

Emily saw this as she walked back and groaned, "Mike! It's still on!"

"Hot, hot, hot!" Mike juggled the hot fish between his hands until it was finally cool enough to touch. He turned off the grill and set the fish on a plate. "Ow, he's hot."

"What about Serena?" Emily pointed to her sister. Mike leaned over the table and looked at her.

"Is she a star?" he asked and tried to look for anything star-like. Emily shook her head.

"I didn't see what the Nighlok switched her with," Emily set gnome Jayden on Antonio's table, right beside fish Antonio. She knelt down beside her sister and tried to lift her up. Serena, unlike what she could see from all the others who had been hit, wasn't stiff. She flopped and fell around like deadweight. Emily hadn't been expecting this and found herself off balance. She fell onto her butt and Serena fell on top of her, covering her legs.

Mike grinned, "Aha!"

He took Terran's blanket off the stroller and held it up, "Blanket Serena."

"Alright, so we know what they are," Emily muttered, "How do we get them home? We can't leave them here? What if the Nighlok comes back?"

Mike nodded his head and pulled out his Samuraizer, "Ji?" he spoke into it, "Uh, we kind of need your help…"

-Samurai-

After putting Terran down for his nap, Emily walked back into the common room and saw Mentor Ji and Mie had set the Rangers and objects up around the room. Mike was placing gnome Jayden on the table when he saw Emily walking back in.

"Terran fall asleep okay?" he asked her.

Emily nodded her head, "He's got no idea there's something wrong," Emily walked over to the gnome and stared at him curiously. She tapped his hat, "Do you think they're awake in there?"

Mentor closed his book and stood up, "Mike was right. This Nighlok switches people's spirits into objects and the victim's bodies take the shape of the objects."

"So… they're stuck unless we can get the Nighlok to undo what he did," Mike sighed.

"And you can't destroy him until he does," Ji nodded. "Destroying him will leave things as they are. Somehow you need to get the Nighlok to turn everyone back."

"Something tells me please and thank you aren't going to be enough," Mike muttered. He sat down on his stool, "What do we do?"

"I will try to come up with something," Ji said, "You two will need to make sure you're in top form for when that Nighlok comes back. Remember, do not defeat him until everyone is back to being themselves."

"Or else they're all gone," Emily sighed. Just then Terran started to cry again. Emily took in a deep breath and got up to see what he needed. Mike saw her leaving sadly and frowned. It was bad enough more than half the team had been victimized by the Nighlok. He didn't need her down in the dumps about it.

He waited until Ji left, with the book of Nighlok in hand, before he pulled out his Samuraizer and eyed the others mischievously. They were going to kill him for this later, but he had to do it.

He wouldn't be Mike if he didn't have a little fun.


	27. Pressure To Succeed

The house was strangely quiet. Mentor was busy trying to come up with a way to help Mike and Emily defeat the monster and everyone else, save for Mike and Emily, had been switched with inanimate objects. Objects that couldn't speak or move.

Emily had set up Terran's play pen in hers and Mike's bedroom. She didn't want to have to get up in the middle of the night and walk across the house when he started crying. Keeping him near was going to make something about today a little easier.

It was getting dark and there had still been no trace of the Nighlok. If he didn't come back, the Rangers would all be stuck as they were: gnomes, fans, ballerina, fish, or blankets. Emily didn't want that. She wanted her friends back. She wanted that Nighlok to come back.

"Uh, Em," Mike whispered as he walked into the room, keeping his voice low so he wouldn't wake Terran. The last thing either of them needed was a baby crying. Mike carried in three of the five Ranger objects, "We're going to have to keep these with us."

"Why?" Emily frowned. She already had the Serena blanket because it was Terran's favourite. He would not fall asleep without it near.

"Scruffy knows not to hurt people," Mike chuckled as he set the objects down on his desk, "but I just had to rescue fish Antonio from his stomach."

"Scruffy ate Antonio!" Emily shrieked.

"SHH!" Mike said and pointed to the crib. Emily was fortunate enough to have not awakened Terran. She let out a breath and lowered her voice, "He ate Antonio?"

"Was thinking about it," Mike said, "He was just about to when I snatched him away. Antonio's in the fridge and we're keeping the others in here so he doesn't knock them over and smash them."

Emily wrinkled her nose, "Ugh, I can smell Antonio on you."

"Yeah, I rescued him from Scruffy's mouth with my hands," Mike sniffed his hands and recoiled from the strong odour, "I'm going to wash up and then I'm going to bed. I'll need to rest up for tomorrow."

Emily nodded her head while Mike went into the bathroom and started up the shower. Emily looked to the foot of the bed, where she had set up Terran's play pen. His blanket was draped over the side, but he was already asleep. He technically didn't need it anymore.

She grabbed the blanket and laid it over herself before she lay down to sleep.

-Samurai-

"_I think I'm going to be sick," Kevin muttered as he spun around and around, and around and around. The ballerina wouldn't stop spinning. Kevin felt like he was on the teacup ride that never ended, only he also had to suffer the embarrassment of being a ballerina in a pink tutu._

"_At least you spin around and around," Mia said. The Rangers had figured out they could talk to each other while they were trapped, but Mike, Emily, and Mentor couldn't hear them at all. They were stuck waiting for their teammates to come up with a way to save them. "I just go back and forth, back and forth…"_

"_Do you guys think Antonio's okay?" Jayden asked. He was worried, and rightfully so. While he and the others were all objects, Antonio was food. Scruffy was generally good about not eating food that wasn't served to him, but it seemed he had been unable to resist the fish Antonio and he had gone in for a bit, terrifying poor Antonio._

"_I'm sure he's fine. He's in the fridge, now, you heard Mike," Serena said._

_The bathroom door opened and Mike came out, dressed in nothing but boxers. This sight wasn't new to anyone. No one bat an eyelash._

_But Serena knew what would be coming next, "Find your own bed, boxer boy," she growled. Tonight she was sleeping with Emily. She had no choice. Emily was using her as a blanket. The last thing she wanted was to be a part of the image that left scars in her mind._

"Em,"_ Mike whispered very softly but the yellow Ranger was already asleep. Serena hoped he would find somewhere else to sleep, but she knew that wouldn't happen. Mike and Emily shared a bed for a reason._

"_Get your paws off my sister!" Serena screamed as Mike got into bed and cuddled up with Emily, pulling her into his arms like he did every night. Serena felt a part of the blanket was pressed between them and groaned, "He is so getting it when I get out of here."_

"_If you think this is bad, you should see what he did to our bodies," Kevin muttered._

"_You look cute in a tutu," Mia giggled, teasing Kevin over the fact that Mike had dressed their bodies up as the objects they had been turned into. Kevin, unfortunately, had been dressed as a ballerina._

"_Cute's not the look I'm going for," Kevin frowned._

"_Right now, they're our only hope," Jayden said, "if Mike's got to dress me up as a gnome to keep his focus, he can."_

"_You're not wearing a tutu!"_

"_Do you think they can defeat the Nighlok by themselves?" Serena asked, "You heard Mentor, they can't defeat him until the Nighlok changes us all back."_

"_It's not going to be easy," Jayden said, "but I'm sure they'll figure something out."_

-Samurai-

The morning routine was much different. With only two Rangers in the house, chores could only be divided into two.

Emily was up first with Terran. She had gotten him a bottle from the fridge and fed him while at the same time making a breakfast for Mike. He got up a little later and took Scruffy out for a quick jog. When he got back, he fed the dog and sat down to breakfast with Emily and Terran.

"If we set him in his playpen and give him a few toys, we should be fine to train," Emily said, "But we'll have to move the playpen into the dojo."

"I'll do that," Mike nodded as he finished up breakfast, "You just get the toys for him and meet me there."

With Terran to think about, and without the others, Mike and Emily felt like they were playing a very complicated game of house. Mike offered to do the dishes, because Emily cooked the meal, so she left to get everything set up for training.

Mike stood with his hands in the dishwater and got lost in thought. He needed to find a way to defeat the switch Nighlok before he could switch anyone else, especially him and Emily. If something happened to them, the entire team was gone.

Mentor walked into the kitchen for his breakfast at that moment and saw Mike doing the dishes.

"You? Chores?"

"Who else is going to do it?" Mike scrubbed the pan clean and moved it into the other sink to dry.

Mentor nodded his head, "There was a time where the only thing I ever saw you cleaning was your teeth, with your finger, after eating and entire pizza."

"Good times," Mike grinned to himself. He cleaned the spatula and turned back to Mentor, "Oh, dude, can I ask you a favour?"

"I don't see why not?"

"You're going to be here all day, right? Emily and I will keep an eye on Terran so you can do your mentor thing, but if the Gap Sensor goes off, would you mind keeping an eye on him."

"Of course," Mentor said and he had to hide his excited smile. He loved keeping an eye on Terran, especially now that there was some competition to see who could get him to laugh.

"Sweet. Thanks."

Mike pulled the plug from the sink to let the water drain while he dried his hands with a dishcloth, "Emily and I are going to be training in the dojo. If we're going to save everyone, we have to be ready."

Mentor nodded his head and watched Mike leave. He had noticed a growth in the green Ranger before, but now that the others were gone, Mike's maturity was really starting to shine through.

His toast popped out of the toaster and Mentor put it on a plate. He buttered it and walked into the common room.

He nearly dropped his plate when he saw what Mike had done to the others. Kevin was wearing a pink, frilly tutu, Antonio had a dive mask, a snorkel and flippers on his feet like a diver, Serena had a blanket draped over her and a note that said "_Cover Me". _ Mia had folded a bunch of papers into fans and pinned them onto Mia, while Jayden was dressed exactly like his gnome counterpart: beard, red pointy hat, and all.

As Mentor shook his head, he heard someone else laughing. Apparently, this was the first time Emily had seen Mike's creativity with the others.

"Only Mike," Emily said. She set Terran on the floor for a minute while she collected some toys for him to play with.

"So I was right about Mike," Mentor sighed. "It seems he thinks it's fun to embarrass the others while they are vulnerable."

"That's not it, Mentor," Emily shook her head; "He's just lightening up the mood a bit. You have to admit, it's pretty funny."

Emily was right, it was funny to see the older Rangers dressed up as their objects. When he looked back at Emily to admit it, he saw her balancing a handful of toys on one arm, while carefully picking up Terran with the other one.

"Need any help?" he asked her.

"I've got it," Emily answered. Skillfully, she balanced Terran on her hip, carried all his toys, and even made him laugh as she walked down to the dojo.

Mentor scratched his head, "How does she do that?"

When Emily got to the dojo she saw the playpen had already been moved and Mike was well into his training routine. She set Terran down with his toys and turned to Mike, a bright smile on her face.

"You're really into this," she said, "Normally you just train enough to earn a pass from Jayden."

"We have to train hard," Mike nodded his head and picked up his towel. He hadn't been training for long, but he was already coated with sweat, "Defeating a Nighlok is one thing. Keeping him alive and under our control… that's even harder."

"I'm sure we'll figure out a way to do it," Emily smiled.

"Jayden would have figured something out by now," Mike muttered, "Or Kevin, or Mia, or…"

"Mike, they aren't here."

"This is a lot of pressure," Mike sighed, "And if something happens to us…"

"Nothing's going to happen to us," Emily assured him. "We know what that Nighlok does now. He can't take us by surprise again."

"But if he switches us… that's it. It's over," Mike said, "There's no way we can win if we're all objects. The Nighlok are going to win. That's why we need to train hard. We need to beat this guy and save the others."

"I'm sure we can do it," Emily nodded and picked up a sword.


	28. Without The Others

Mike and Emily could now understand why Serena never gave training her all. With Terran to look after, she needed to save up all her energy for the rest of the day.

Unfortunately, they had no choice. They needed to train hard, they needed to focus, and they needed to keep their eye on Terran.

Mike was watching Terran and making lunch while Emily showered and freshened up after training. He figured it was the least he could do after she had made breakfast. The more they could split all the chores, the better off they would be.

And Emily took advantage of the little time she would have to herself, ironically, since everyone had gone.

-Samurai-

"_She's back!" Mia called to the other objects. Being a fan was even more boring than she initially thought. All the back and forth and back and forth was getting on her nerves. Added to the fact that that was the only way she could move, Mia, and all the other objects, were bored out of their minds. Emily coming into the bedroom was the most exciting thing to happen in hours._

"_She's all sweaty," Kevin pointed out, "I hope that means she and Mike were training. They're going to need all the help they can get."_

"_Where's Terran?" Serena asked. "Shouldn't she be with him?"_

"_He's probably with Mike or Ji," Jayden assured the worried mother. The longer Terran was out of her sight, the more nervous Serena became. It didn't help that she was Terran's favourite blanket and the key to soothing him when he got cranky for no reason. If she wasn't with him, she was scared he was going to throw a fit._

"_You know what I'm scared to imagine?" Mia said, "The state of the rest of the house. Remember that time Ji left and you guys turned the house into a dump?"_

"_Just don't think about it and you'll be fine," Serena chuckled, "but if it helps, Emily's usually been kind of tidy."_

"_Yeah, but Mike?" if Mia could, she would have shuttered at the thought. Instead, for a brief moment, the fan spazzed, which caused Emily to look at it curiously. Then she shook her head and disappeared into the bathroom. All the objects groaned._

"_There's nothing to do!" Jayden said, "Can't this Nighlok come back any faster? My arm is starting to hurt."_

"_Thankfully this ballerina doesn't eat," Kevin said, "because if there was something to throw up, this music box would stop being cute."_

"_You can blow chunks later, Kevin," Serena muttered, "for now, let's just hope we can get back into our bodies."_

"_I'm sure they'll come up with something," Jayden said, "They have to."_

-Samurai-

Mike was sitting on the couch, completely exhausted, while Terran lay on a blanket on the floor to play with his toys. He was cooing and smiling at the musical tones and the flashing lights, but Mike noticed his gaze kept turning to his mother, as if expecting a reaction from her.

After several moments of getting nothing, Terran turned to Mike. The green Ranger opened his eyes wide and that satisfied the baby for another few moments, before Terran decided he wanted to play with mommy.

He rolled over onto his stomach and Mike gasped. Another milestone for the little boy?

"Holy crap!"

Now on his stomach, Terran pushed himself up and stared at his mother. He babbles and cooed for her attention, but Serena, naturally, wouldn't respond. Eventually he got frustrated and started to cry.

With a groan, Mike got off the couch, "C'mon, little guy," his muscles ached from training but he could still pick up his nephew, "We can't play with mommy today."

Terran screamed and screamed. Uncle Mike was in no way his mother. He didn't sound like his mother, he didn't look like his mother, he didn't smell like his mother, and he didn't feel like his mother. Mike tried to move Terran out of the common room, hoping for out of sight, out of mind, but it didn't work. Not when all Terran wanted was to play with mommy.

"C'mon, little guy," Mike gently bounced Terran and tickled his stomach, hoping he could start a game to distract the boy, but Terran wouldn't have it.

Mike walked into his bedroom as Emily's shower finished, "Emily!"

"Almost done!"

"He won't stop. Make him laugh."

"Blow on his stomach," Emily said. Mike looked down at Terran and sighed. He would try anything.

He set the baby on the bed, lifted his shirt and blew on his stomach. Terran's crying stopped for a moment then started up again.

"It's not working."

"Make that really silly face," Emily said from the bathroom, "You know, that face you used to make when Mia's cooking was awful."

-Samurai-

"_HEY!" Mia frowned, hearing Emily's suggestion to Mike, "You know we can hear you, right?"_

"_They can't hear us, Mia," Kevin reminded her. "Besides, Mike did make some funny faces back then."_

"_I'm right here!" Serena groaned. She was also on the bed, just sitting on the other side. She could calm her son down, but Mike didn't seem to notice her at all._

_Finally she saw Emily rushing out of the bathroom and took over for Mike with Terran. She remembered about his blanket and picked Serena up. She covered Terran with the blanket and then quickly pulled it down._

"_Ow!" Serena frowned, "Who knew that hurt so much?"_

"_Blankets usually don't feel pain," Jayden laughed._

_Serena rolled her eyes and then looked back up at Emily. She too started to laugh, seeing the ridiculous face on her sister, "Boy, Emy's got no shame when it comes to Terran. She looks like a total dork from where I'm standing."_

"Uh, oh! Auntie Emy can't find Tewan! Where's is he? Where's little Tewan? There he is!"

"_That's attractive," Serena muttered, seeing Emily's goofy face._

"_But he's laughing, listen," Mia pointed out and Serena heard it for herself. Terran was laughing again, finally happy._

-Samurai-

To Mike, it sounded like a huge wet fart, but to Terran, that sound was the funniest thing he had ever heard. His Auntie Emy continued to blow on his stomach, making him laugh louder and louder and quickly he forgot all about playing with his mommy.

"Yum, yum, little toes," Emily moved her mouth down to Terran's feet and nibbled on his tiny toes, keeping the boy very entertained without his mother.

When she was sure he was in a better mood, Emily picked him up and passed him back to Mike, "I have to finish with my hair, now."

"You're going to have to teach someone else how to do that," Mike chuckled and followed Emily into the bathroom, "You can't be the only one who knows how to make him laugh."

"It's my fifteen minutes of fame," Emily shrugged her shoulders. "He'll laugh for you guys once you start being funny."

"I am funny," Mike said, "You're just… baby funny."

"I just read that book we got," Emily replied, "It says babies like exaggerated faces and funny voices and stuff. I feel like an idiot doing it, but then he laughs and you forget how ridiculous you feel."

"Ridiculous, huh?"

"The more like an idiot you feel, the better," Emily nodded.

Mike looked into the mirror and made the strangest and funniest face he could think it. Then he heard a laugh, both from Emily and from Terran, who had caught his expression in the mirror.

"Hey! I made him laugh."

"I told you," Emily smiled and clipped her hair into place, "There, done."

"Em, look," Mike held Terran out and moved him around. He saw Terran's gaze was fixed on his own reflection, "He can't stop looking at himself."

"He thinks it's another baby," Emily chuckled. "He's probably wondering who you're holding."

"It's pretty funny how he's got no idea it's him," Mike laughed and moved Terran closer to the mirror so the boy could get a better look at his own face, "I know, little guy. I would make that same face as you if I was staring at…"

Mike trailed off and fixed his eyes on Terran and Terran's reflection. He thought about it for himself for a minute. The Nighlok could switch people with inanimate objects, and had done so because that was what he wanted. But he switched the spirits of whatever his tentacles touched. If his tentacles were to touch two humans, or better yet, himself…

"Emily…!" too late, the Gap Sensor suddenly sounded. Mike wouldn't have time to tell her his plan.

"He's back," Emily said, and appeared very excited, but nervous at the thought of taking the Nighlok on. Mike put Terran in her arms and the put his hands on her shoulders, "I've got an idea."

"Mike, Emily," Mentor came rushing into their room. He heard the sensor go off and knew they were going to need him to babysit. He took Terran and shifted the boy slightly in his arms while he reached into his kimono and pulled out the Black Box. He gave it to Mike, "You're going to need this."

"Seriously?" Mike asked. He had been excited to use it, but he hoped he would have the rest of the team as back up, in case something went wrong or he didn't know how to use it properly.

"You can do it, Mike," Mentor nodded his head. Mike turned to Emily and saw she was smiling encouragingly as well. He took the Black Box and clutched it tight.

"I have a plan," he said, "but it's going to be risky."

"Aren't your plans always risky?" Emily asked. Mike nodded his head.

"I'll need you to trust me, Em. Completely."

"I'm behind you," Emily smiled, "Completely."

"Go," Mentor Ji insisted the two Rangers as they darted off. He followed them until he reached the front door and he watched them leave the yard, morphing as they did, "Be careful!" he shouted and felt his stomach turning anxiously. If anything, anything at all, happened to them, he wouldn't know what to do.


	29. Switched Back

The Nighlok was running around the plaza, laughing as he scared people away.

"They're playing my favourite song!" he chirped happily about the humans' screams before he heard footsteps from behind racing towards him and he was compelled to look back. He was thankful he did, because the yellow and green Ranger, the only two he hadn't defeated, were running right for him.

Mike ran with his forest spear and instinct reminded him it was safer to hold his weapon in front of his body, but he needed to make himself open for an attack if he wanted his plan to work.

"Hey, ugly!" he shouted, drawing as much attention to himself as possible while Emily slipped by unnoticed. This plan involved him. He wouldn't risk her being switched, and with what he had in mind, that was a huge risk.

"Name calling?" the Nighlok asked and shot out a tentacle at Mike, who didn't even bother trying to avoid it, felt a pain in his stomach as the tentacle connected. It wasn't anything too bad, but it did hurt him a bit and it left him paralyzed, "Didn't your mother ever teach you it wasn't nice to call people names?"

For the sake of his plan, Mike pretended to try and pull the tentacle off, but found it was stuck. No amount of pulling could have pried it from his stomach.

"Maybe I'll switch you with something easy to smash, just to teach you a lesson!" the Nighlok said and shot out his second tentacle. That was when he finally saw the yellow Ranger as she ran over and tried to grab his tentacle. Realising he was being fooled; the Nighlok whipped his tentacle around, hoping to get the yellow Ranger away and foil whatever plan she and the green Ranger had.

Unfortunately, he struck her instead. Rather than turning the green Ranger into an object, he had merely traded his opponents.

"That didn't work like I planned," the Nighlok muttered as the green and yellow Rangers regrouped. Mike, as Emily, shook his head.

"This is not what I had planned."

"At least we can still fight," Emily, as Mike, pointed out. "Your plan is still good, you can still do it."

Mike nodded his head and gulped. He had no choice. When the Nighlok tried to hit him again, he pushed Emily, in his own body, out of the way and took the hit. The Nighlok shot his second tentacle out and aimed for a soccer ball a kid had abandoned on the street when he ran away.

Emily jumped up and raced after the tentacle, finding herself to be much faster in Mike's body. She grabbed the tentacle and hurried over to the Nighlok, stabbing him with it and trading the Nighlok's spirit with Mike's.

"Yes!" the Nighlok said and jumped excitedly and Emily could tell, right away, that it was Mike's spirit. But that meant only one thing. After a quick celebratory high five, both Mike and Emily turned to the Nighlok in Emily's body.

Mike stepped forward menacingly, "Tell us how to switch everyone back!" he shouted.

"You sneaky snakes!" the Nighlok growled and then looked down at his new body, "Ugh, I feel all gross and hero-y."

"Gross?" Emily placed her hands on her hips, "I _just_ showered before coming here!"

"Tell us the secret," Mike demanded again. He wasn't going to waste anymore time. He was in control now. Until the Nighlok did the very thing Mike had been worried he would do. The Nighlok held the spin Sword to his, or rather, Emily's neck.

"As loathsome as this body is," he said, "I'll be you don't want anything to happen to it. Back off or she gets it."

"Put the Sword down!" Mike shouted and without really thinking about it, he shot the Nighlok with his tentacle. Emily still held the other in her hand and transferred the Nighlok's spirit into the soccer ball.

Emily's body curled up into a ball and she looked down at the one in her hands.

"I wonder how hard I can kick this ball," she asked herself and then proceeded to kick the ball into the wall. It bounced right back and she caught it in her hands, "You know, there's something wrong with this ball. It kind of feels mushy."

She pressed on the ball as hard as she could with her hands, squeezing and squeezing until she was sure the Nighlok had enough.

"I think we've made our point, Em," Mike laughed and stabbed the ball with one tentacle, then Emily's helmet with another, transferring the Nighlok back into her body.

The Nighlok stood up and wobbled around, "Ugh, that was cruel! I think you broke a rib!"

"Serves you right!" Emily shouted, "Tell us how to change everyone back, or I'll do it again!"

"Why, I oughta," the Nighlok picked up the Spin Sword and tried to threaten his new body again. Mike pointed a tentacle his way.

"Try, it, I dare you!" he said. "Emily needs a few soccer lessons anyways."

The Nighlok growled and lowered the sword. The green Ranger did have all the power. He could threaten his new body all he wanted, but then he would just be switched back into a ball, where there was no way to defend himself.

"Fine," he said, "But you need to hold still."

"Move away, Em," Mike said to her and gently pushed her back. The Nighlok would be hurting his own body, but there was no guarantee he wouldn't betray the Rangers, and Mike wanted to give Emily enough room to save herself if something did happen.

The Nighlok charged at Mike and slashed his face with the Spin Sword. Mike felt an agonizing pain for a second before it was all gone. His vision was blinded by a bright light and the spell was undone. He could feel his own body again and the power of his green Ranger suit.

"It worked! Em, it worked!"

"Yeah, I know," Emily called and Mike looked over to see her already holding off the Nighlok. He knew he had to end things fast now. The Nighlok had already destroyed his own power, so there was no sense in giving him the chance to run off again.

He pulled out the Black Box and held it out, "Super Samurai Mode!"

Power course through him like he had never felt before; he was strong, he felt invincible, and he knew exactly what to do to stop the Nighlok.

"Why do we always wait until the last minute to use this baby?" he asked and admired himself with the white jacket, "it feels and looks AWESOME!"

"MIKE!" Emily screamed as she was flipped onto the ground and the Nighlok stood over her. Mike gripped his Spin Sword tight.

"You're done, Nighlok! Super Forest Vortex!"

More energy than Mike could ever imagine coursed through his veins and charged up his Spin Sword. All it took was one slash and the Nighlok erupted in sparked before blowing to pieces.

Emily got up to her feet and ran over to Mike, "You look amazing!"

"I feel amazing! You definitely need to try this out!" Mike nodded and wrapped an arm around her, "I can't believe we did it!"

"All by ourselves," Emily giggled, "No help from the others."

"Ready for the big switch!" the Nighlok screamed as he suddenly grew into Mega Mode and towered over Mike and Emily. Mike stared up, horrified.

"We're going to need them now, Em."

"The Black Box can control their Zords," Emily reminded him, "We can still take him by ourselves."

Mike nodded his head.

-Samurai-

"If I spin around one more time…" Kevin grumbled as he grew more and more tired of the constant spinning. No ballerina could spin this much without somehow throwing up, real or fake.

But suddenly it didn't matter. His vision faded to black and then he found himself staring at the common room wall. He was back in his own body. Just for good measure, he pat himself down and breathed a sigh of relief. He was Kevin again.

"Nice tutu," he heard Mia laugh and glanced down. He was back to being himself, but he was still dressed up as a ballerina.

"I'm going to kill you, Mike."

"Terran!" Serena was on her feet as soon as she was back in her body and she raced to the entrance of the common room. Mentor had heard the Rangers' voices and knew they were back. He passed Terran to Serena, a smile on his face.

"Welcome back."

"G-good t-t-to be b-b-b-back," Antonio stuttered as he sat on his stool and shivered. Jayden came over and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

"Not fun being in the fridge, huh?"

"I d-don't like being a f-f-fish," Antonio said, "Not a pleasant experience."

Scruffy heard the commotion and came into the room. Antonio responded with a loud scream as he flashed back to the moment where he had almost been eaten by the dog. His eyes then rolled back into his head and he slumped back into Jayden's arms.

"Whoa," Jayden caught his boyfriend, "Antonio? Antonio, wake up?"

"He should be fine," Mia said and plucked the paper fans from her clothes, "He did have a bit of a scare with Scruffy."

Antonio woke up a few seconds later. He glared at Scruffy, "Get that dog away from me!"

"Or you can leave him," Mentor said, "Mike and Emily are still fighting the Nighlok and they may need your help."

"We should go," Jayden nodded his head, ripped off his fake, fluffy beard and hurried off.

-Samurai-

In the Megazord cockpit, Mike felt just as strong as he had when he first defeated the Nighlok. It was like he knew exactly how the battle was going to go. Every move, every trick… it was amazing.

"Let's got for the finisher," he instructed Emily and she nodded. He removed the Mega Blade from his podium and flipped it open. For added power, and just for the hell of it, Mike attacked the Black Box.

"Double Katana Strike!" he and Emily shouted, swinging their Mega Blades while the Mega Zord responded to their movements and with a final strike, defeated the Nighlok for good.

Mike sunk to his knees and saw Emily do the same. His powered returned to the Black Box now that there was no more use for it and he felt completely drained. Controlling all the Zords at once, without their owners anywhere nearby was harder than he believed. Now that the fight was over, he had no energy left.

But he still looked over at Emily and was breathing heavily, "Wow, we did it."

"Let's never do that again," Emily said and Mike agreed. It had been fun, but he was exhausted.

-Samurai-

Jayden, Mia, Kevin, and Antonio raced to the plaza, following Mike and Emily's signals. They had seen the Mega Nighlok being destroyed and knew the fight was over. They had, against all odds, won.

"Over there," Mia pointed and the boys spotted Mike and Emily sitting on some fallen debris. This part of town was trashed as a result of the fight, as Megazord battles always ended.

Mia and Jayden sprinted over to Emily while Kevin and Antonio rushed over to Mike.

"You did it!" Kevin smiled as he helped Mike to his feet and bumped fists with his best friend.

"Next time, guys, try not all falling under a spell," Mike nodded, "I'm so tired; I can sleep for a week."

"A month," Emily chuckled and leaned on Mia and Jayden for support, "That Nighlok was tough."

"You can tell us everything when we get home," Jayden said, "We should clear out before the cops or someone else sees us."

"Dudes, the only way I'm leaving here is if you carry me," Mike said.

A light bulb went off in Emily's head and she jumped up on Jayden's back. Unlike Mike, she knew she was light enough to be carried by anyone.

"My hibernation starts now," she rested her head on Jayden's shoulder and closed her eyes.

Mike looked up at Kevin. Kevin stared down at Mike and shook his head.

"Don't even think about it. After putting me in that tutu, you think I'm going to carry your fat ass home."

"You would still be in that tutu if it wasn't for me," Mike pointed out. "Carry me."

Antonio wrapped Mike's arm around his shoulder and gestured for Kevin to do the same, "This is the best we can do for you, amigo."

"And we'll talk about the tutu when we get home," Kevin said with a slight growl.

Mike just chuckled and rolled his eyes, "You look good in pink and frilly, Kevin. Out of all of us, guys, I think you can pull it off the best."

"I will drop you."

"It matches your eyes…"

"You're on your own," Kevin started to pull away but Mike quickly stopped him.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry. Please help me home."

"C'mon, Kevin," Mia laughed, "It is thanks to him we're back in our own bodies. At least get him home."

"Thank you, Mia," Mike smiled and stuck out his tongue.

"Then you can kill him," Mia quickly added and Mike's face fell.

"I thought you were on my team!"

Mia shook her head and led the way home.


	30. Settling Down

Mike and Emily had been left alone in the house for nearly twenty-four hours. Something had to be broken.

Serena searched and searched. The entire team searched and searched while Mike and Emily took their well-deserved naps. They didn't really mean anything by it. They had just expected it. But they found the complete opposite of what they expected. The house was tidy. Very tidy.

"Okay, there has to be a sock or something lying around," Kevin checked between the sofa cushions but he found nothing.

"Okay, it was just the two of them, right?" Serena said, "Emily's butter fingers and Mike's careless attitude had to have broken something."

"It's all clean," Mia said as she came back from the kitchen. "Even the garbage has been taken out. The dishes are done and put away…"

"There's no food left out, no stains…" Jayden added.

"And everything's as we left it," Antonio smiled and took a seat on his stool, "Nothing to worry about."

"Have you guys been spending all this time trying to find something Emily and I would have screwed up?" Mike asked as he stood in the doorway with Emily. Both their arms were crossed, "We save you guys and babysit and this is the thanks we get?"

"But it's…"

"We just…"

"It's you," Serena said while the others stuttered.

"And if something isn't broken by the end of the day, there's something wrong with Emily," Kevin added.

"And you guys were so busy, what with training and coming up with that plan to stop the Nighlok, _and_ babysitting Terran," Mia nodded, "We wouldn't have blamed you guys for making a little mess."

Mentor Ji walked up behind Mike and Emily and placed his hands on their shoulders, "They really came through today," he said. He had been the only one who got to see them in action while the others were down. He had to admit, he was impressed. Terran had been well looked after, and he had hardly heard a peep from the two of them while was in his room trying to help. He hadn't been able to come up with a plan on time, but Mike had, giving Mentor Ji another reason to be impressed. "You should be proud of them."

"We are proud," Jayden nodded his head, "We just…"

"We're not kids. We can take care of ourselves and we can take care of Terran," Emily said and looked at Serena specifically. This was a matter she and Mike had already addressed and gotten over, but now that she had seen the others were still thinking of her and Mike as kids, she figured it was time to get it all out in the open. "I know what you and James did."

"You…" Serena instantly turned to Mia and glared. The pink Ranger shook her head.

"It wasn't me, I swear it."

"What did you two… never mind," Antonio lowered his head as it clicked.

Emily bit her lip, "When you two were talking about it… I was on the other side of the wall listening."

"Emily…"

"Not on purpose," Emily said before Serena could assume anything, "I got home from walking Scruffy and I just… I heard you and Mia talking and didn't walk away. I'm allowed to stand wherever I want to stand, you know."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest, "Emily…"

"You can tell me stuff like this," Emily said, "You don't have to hide it from me. I'm not best friends with James or anything, and the last thing I want to hear it… well, that, but I know how to be happy for you."

"And just because you and James…" Mike didn't want to say the words _had sex_, "doesn't mean he's in the picture yet. He's not real. He's not really anything to Terran yet. We're just his aunt and uncle but we can step it up when he needs us."

"Guys…"

"And the house is clean because we knew we had to keep it clean," Mike continued. "There was no one else to wash the dishes or make meals, or walk Scruffy, or change the garbage, or take care of Terran, and there was no one nagging us to do it."

"Nagging you," Emily said, "I don't get nagged. Not as often as you."

"There was no one nagging me," Mike nodded. He looked at the team, "Something tells me you guys had doubts we could do it. You thought we would all be stuck and this was the end."

"We were worried," Jayden admitted, "but that shouldn't be shocking. We'd have been worried if it was anyone."

"But would you have inspected the house while anyone else napped?" Mike asked and pointed accusing looks at the others. They averted their looks. Kevin even started to whistle. Mike shrugged his shoulders, "C'mon, guys, we're the youngest, but it's like Em said, we're not kids. You just think we are because that's where we started."

Mia sighed, "You guys have grown up quite a bit since we first met. From what we did see, you really took charge, Mike. You wouldn't have done that a year ago. Not this way."

"And you were really good with Terran," Jayden nodded as he looked to Emily. "You two did make a pretty impressive team."

"Of course we do," Mike smiled and he took Emily's hand, "It took you guys this long to figure it out? I thought I was the dumb one."

"Hey, hey, watch it," Kevin frowned.

Serena looked down at her feet. Mike and Emily were right, they weren't kids anymore. As much as she didn't like it, they were growing up. With Mike it didn't matter as much as with Emily. Her sister wasn't her baby sister anymore, she knew that. She had been forced to stop calling her that at Christmas time, when Mike and Emily _shared_ that tent. But Emily wasn't her little sister anymore either. If she was sharing big news, like receiving a key to James' apartment or taking that next step in her relationship, she should be able to share with her sister, above everyone else.

"You guys did good today," she smiled, "I am proud."

Emily beamed brightly, "Thanks. But today also taught me something too."

"It did?" the others, even Mike, asked. Emily nodded her head.

"I don't want to be _the_ kid, but I like still being a kid," Emil nudged Mike, "Show them."

"Show them… Ohh!" Mike pulled out his Samuraizer. After dressing the Rangers up to get a laugh, he could resist taking a few pictures. He knew it was something he would never be able to do again and had to save the moment. Kevin was the most humiliated by what Mike had done, so he pulled up the picture of Kevin in a tutu. "We did have some good times while you guys were… away."

Kevin looked at the picture on the Samuraizer and a fire lit up in his eyes. He tried to snatch the Samuraizer but Mike pulled it out of his reach and tossed it over to Emily.

"Run, Em! Run!"

"Delete it you little brat!" Kevin shouted as he turned around and went after Emily. Mike followed and quickly grabbed onto Kevin, pulling him back and giving Emily enough room to run and hide.

"On the internet, Emily! Quick, before he can stop you!" Mike said and held back a struggling Kevin.

"Oh, I'm so killing you both for this," Kevin tried to get himself freed but Mike had him in a lock. He couldn't move.

"I still think you look cute in a tutu," Mia said, hoping to get Kevin to calm down. It was all in good fun and she doubted Emily or Mike would ever put the picture up on the internet. Suddenly, her Samuraizer went off, and judging by the looks on everyone else's faces, theirs had too.

"Someone sent me a picture," Antonio said happily and opened up the message, only to find himself staring at a picture of Kevin the Ballerina. "Too late, Kevin. Now we've all got a copy."

Emily came back into the room with a grin. She showed Kevin her empty hands.

"Not as public as the internet, but it's still funny."

"Way to go, Emily," Mike smiled and finally let go of Kevin. He then found himself having to duck to avoid a painful slap to the head.

"Never put that tutu near me ever again," he warned the green Ranger, "or it's going to find its way down your throat. Understood?"

"Lighten up, dude," Mike lightly punched Kevin in the arm but the blue Ranger's expression didn't change. He gave his best friend a serious look and saluted, "Yes, sir."

Kevin rolled his eyes and shoved the green Ranger, "You're so lucky you're the hero of the day."

"Speaking of heroes," Antonio said, "How did you guys defeat that Nighlok and why didn't you do it any sooner? I wasn't enjoying being a fish, especially the part where I was _IN SCRUFFY'S MOUTH_!"

Mike rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh, yeah… sorry about that. I did get to you in time."

"Fortunately," Antonio huffed. "That is an experience I do not want to repeat. I think you've turned me away from fish for a while."

"You're fine," Jayden said and pat his boyfriend on the back, "It's all over now."

"Easy for you to say," Antonio muttered, "You weren't almost eaten by the dog."

"Do you want to know how we defeated the Nighlok or not?" Emily giggled.

"How?" Mia asked.

"It was thanks to Terran, actually," Mike smirked, "Little Monster Jr. was staring at himself in the mirror with a strange look."

"He's been doing that for a while," Serena shrugged. "How did that help with the Nighlok?"

"I'd be making funny faces too if I had to look at myself. Terran doesn't understand mirrors so I just figured for him, it was creepy, just like it would have been for me if I was staring at myself. That's when I realised the Nighlok could switch anything. If I could get inside his body, I could force him to tell us how to undo this."

"Only, we had a bit of a mishap," Emily smirked and looked up at Mike, "Tell them."

"We switched ourselves."

The room of Samurai rolled their eyes, "Of course you would."

"But we still made it work," Emily smiled. "But instead of Mike switching bodies with the Nighlok… the Nighlok was inside my body, I was in Mike's, and Mike was in the Nighlok's body…"

"What?" Jayden frowned, trying to get that straight.

"You had to be there," Mike laughed, "Then we switched the Nighlok with a soccer ball and kicked him around a bit."

"Wait, there was another switch?"

"Then we switched him back into Emily and had him hit me to undo everything," Mike smiled. "That's when I used the super awesome Black Box, by the way, I so call another turn with that thing, and we defeated him. He went Mega, we defeated him again, you guys showed up and now we're here."

"So… what?" Kevin frowned. He was still trying to figure out all the switches, "Who was where."

"The Nighlok was in my body," Emily said, "I was in Mike, and Mike was in the Nighlok's body."

"The Nighlok was in your body?" Serena asked. She rubbed her forehead, "That could have gone horribly, horribly wrong."

"It was a risky plan," Mike nodded his head, "and it didn't go as planned, but it worked. The Nighlok practically defeated himself and you guys are all back in your own bodies."

"Though the house was quieter when you guys weren't around," Emily smirked.

Kevin just shook his head, "Well, congrats guys," he started for the hallway, "but after standing for an entire day in one pose, my muscles are really, really sore. I'm going to try and relax them a bit."

"Same here," Mia nodded, "All that twisting's finally catching up to me."

"I will get started on dinner," Ji offered, "A little congratulatory meal for today's victory is in order. Antonio, there's some leftover fish from…"

"No fish," Antonio shook his head, "Please, anything but fish."

Ji nodded. Apparently it was still too soon.

"C'mon," Jayden pulled Antonio to his feet, "I don't know if you can smell it on yourself, but I think some of the stink transferred back with you. You need a shower and I need a nap."

"Em, do you want to go help Ji with dinner?" Mike suggested to his girlfriend. Emily shrugged her shoulders and nodded.

"I've got nothing better to do, I guess."

As she left, Serena started to go as well to check up on Terran, but Mike grabbed her arm.

"Hey, hold up for a minute," he said, "There's something I have to tell you."

"What?"

"Well, for starters, I figured out how to make Terran laugh."

"I could hear you," Serena nodded. "We did know what was happening when we were trapped. You just couldn't hear us or… well anything."

"It's so cool making him laugh for the first time. You know…"

"Mike, he laughs for you and he laughs for Em," Serena said, "I'm happy for you, really, but please don't rub it in."

"I'm not, I just…" Mike sighed, "What I really wanted to say was that I also saw him roll over. For the first time…"

"Great," Serena rolled her eyes and turned away, "my baby's doing all these things when I'm not around…"

"Serena," Mike chuckled and spun her back around, "You weren't there when he did it, but he rolled over for you. After training I was too pooped to play with him. I kept my eye on him, but let him play with his toys. I laid him on his back, on the floor and somehow he got a look at you and he wanted to play with you. He wanted you so badly, he rolled over to try and reach you."

"And I wasn't there…"

"That's not the point," Mike smirked, "You're really beating yourself up about this can't laugh thing, huh?"

"At first it was funny," Serena said, "Only Emily was dorky enough to get him to laugh, but then it got old. She makes him laugh at will. Without trying. I can't do it. I get a smile. A get an approving coo, but I can't get my own baby to laugh."

"You're not being doofus enough," Mike laughed. He pulled on Serena's arm, "C'mon. I'll show you the trick Em showed me."

He pulled Serena into her room. Terran was awake and lying in his crib, staring up contently at his mobile as it spun around.

"Pick him up," Mike instructed. Serena did as she was told. When Terran saw her leaning over the crib he smiled happily, but there was no laugh.

"Okay, now make the stupidest, most ridiculous face you can make, and make sure you feel like an idiot when you do it. Kids love exaggerated facial expressions.

Serena rolled her eyes and then looked down at Terran, "Mommy's going to look like a total idiot, so you better laugh."

She twisted her face in a way she couldn't describe. Mike chuckled when he saw it, finding it totally ridiculous. Terran's smile grew, but there was still no laugh.

"It's not working."

"Babies like funny sounds," Mike said, "Baby talk him, make funny noises."

Serena remembered a noise that always used to, and still could, make Emily laugh and decided to try it on Terran. She had grown up surrounded by animals and spent most of her time with the cows, the horses, the chickens, goats and at one time, a donkey. She had learned to imitate some of the noises they made, especially the chicken.

So she made a silly face and clucked. She felt ridiculous, humiliated, even, but Terran loved it. His face lit up at his mother's dorkiness and his mouth opened up. Finally, Serena got a laugh out of him. The embarrassment and the feeling of idiocy washed away immediately.

"Emily blows on his stomach quite a bit," Mike said, "Terran seems to love it. The wetter they sound, the more he seems to laugh."

Serena lifted her son up and blew into his stomach. He started to laugh more and more.

"See," Mike laughed, finding Terran's giggled to be quite contagious, "Your baby doesn't hate you."

"I never said he hated me."

"Honestly, I really think he loves you best, Serena," Mike smiled, "You're his mommy."

Serena cuddled Terran to her chest and looked at Mike, "Thanks."

"No problem," Mike turned to leave to give the mother and son their playtime, but Serena called his name. He turned back around and saw her smiling.

"Look, just to make sure things are clear; James moving in, if it does happen, doesn't mean I want you moving out. I named Terran after you for a reason. Terran Michael. He's always going to know who you are to him. You and Emily."

"The favourite aunt and uncle," Mike nodded, "But just aunt and uncle."

"That's not a bad thing," Serena smirked, "And besides, you're also godparents. If anything happens to me, Terran's going straight to you. Well, Emily, but if things work out like they should, you and Emily will have custody."

"If things work out like they should, you won't be dying anytime soon," Mike laughed, "but I get what you're saying. It means a lot."

Serena nodded, "You really did step it up today, Mike. I know we kind of expected you to screw something up but you showed what you were made of. Both you and Em. We did trust you guys."

"I know."

"And by the way," Serena called out as Mike tried to leave again, "next time you know I'm trapped in the same blanket Emily's sleeping with, don't cuddle with my sister. Despite all this grown up crap, those were still your hands on my little sister and I do not want to be a part of that."

"Sorry," Mike laughed, "I kind of forgot about the switch thing at that point."

"Yahuh."

"I'm going to go before you decide to kill me," Mike pointed over his shoulder and hurried off. Serena chuckled to herself and then looked down at Terran. She made her eyes wide.

"Oink, oink, oink!" she said as she laid him down on the bed and then tickled him. She couldn't get enough of his laugh.


	31. Fishy Lies

It was once his favourite food, his favourite pass-time, the best job in the world, and the very thing that made him unique.

He was the fish guy. He knew all about them. He knew where to catch the best fish, how to cook fish, and as a kid, he even managed to keep his pet goldfish alive and happy for ten years before the unfortunate accident.

But now, all that was gone. Antonio stared into the fridge as a chill raced down his spine. It wasn't from the cold air seeping out of the fridge, but it was from the plate of fish still sitting inside. The plate with the fish that Antonio had been turned into was still sitting peacefully on the shelf in the fridge. It wasn't soiled enough to be tossed with the rest of the bad food, but it wasn't quite right to eat anymore.

Antonio couldn't bring himself to throw it away. He couldn't touch it, or any other fish for that matter. He even avoided the Claw Zord and the Octozord. Every time he saw them, or he saw something fish related, and intense panic would start and he found himself in desperate need to get away.

He closed the fridge and took a step back, breathing out a sigh of relief. He wondered if the others felt this way too.

Of course they didn't. Mia had proven she had no fear of fans after being trapped as one for a full day. Right away she went back to training with her Sky Fan. It was as if nothing had happened.

Jayden had stashed the gnome out of sight, but would laugh along with the others when they brought up the fact that he had been turned into a gnome. He didn't seem fazed at all by his transformation.

Kevin was a bit bitter about being a ballerina, and preferred not to talk about it, especially when the others laughed at his tutu, but he wasn't scared of ballerinas.

And Serena had been the most unfazed of all. The second she snapped out of the transformation it had been done, over with, buried in the past and forgotten. Her life when back to normal and she carried the blanket around like it was absolutely nothing.

Antonio was terrified. Scared out of his mind. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that he had almost been eaten alive and no one could hear his screams. He couldn't protect himself, he couldn't ask for help. Actually, the only people who could hear him could only watch as Scruffy moved in closer and closer.

And then, right after that he had been locked away in the cold, dark fridge for almost the entire time he was a fish. He knew it was for his own good. The others were trying to protect him from spoiling and being destroyed, but the dark, the cold, and the sense of loneliness did nothing to help Antonio's anxiety. All he had been left to think about was the scary incident. The incident of near death.

Eventually, that branched out to all fish, and his passion for the sport was gone. He couldn't catch fish now that he knew how terrifying it was to be a fish on the verge of death. He couldn't grill a fish because he knew what the last few minutes before being devoured felt like.

Antonio was nothing and it bothered him. It bothered him quite a bit.

Would he tell the others about this, though? Of course not. Jayden, the strong, fearless, heroic leader of the Samurai Rangers wouldn't understand why Antonio, the fisherman, was afraid of fish. Kevin was too wrapped up in his own embarrassing ballerina story to think Antonio had it bad as a fish. Somehow, in Kevin's mind, being a ballerina was the _worst_ thing to happen. All the spinning, the fact that he was a female ballerina, and the tutu made the experience horrifying for him.

Mia might understand. She was usually very empathetic, but if Antonio told her about it, she would tell the others. She would say he needed help and support and he didn't want the others to laugh at him. It was embarrassing. Antonio, the fisherman, the fisherman's son, the master of the Octozord, the man who go the Clawzord up and running again, the golden boy, was afraid of a little, tiny fish. No way was he telling Mia.

Or Serena. Serena would do the same.

And Mike and Emily wouldn't understand. They had been human the entire time. Well, Mike had been switched with a Nighlok, but it wasn't the same. They could try all they wanted, but they couldn't relate. No one could relate.

Could they?

"You know, it's easier to figure out what you want to eat when you actually open up the fridge and look at what's inside," Emily suggested. Antonio turned around to see her walking into the kitchen with Terran. She opened the fridge door and grabbed a bottle to heat up.

"Where's Serena?" he asked. Terran was only bottle fed when Serena was out of the house.

"James got her her job back," Emily smiled, "She's at work."

"Good for her," Antonio nodded, "I guess this means you're back to babysitting five days a week."

"Yep," Emily tickled Terran's stomach, "but I love it. Especially now that you guys are back and we can share the duties. When it was just me and Mike… it was hard."

"And that was only a day," Antonio joked, but the word only sounded very modest. If he was going to be honest, he would have said: _"And you had him for that long, long, day."_

"Mind holding him?" Emily asked, "I'm going to make myself something to eat too and I need my hands.

"Yeah, sure," Antonio nodded and took Terran in his hands while Emily opened up the fridge. He tried not to look inside, knowing the fish was there.

Emily pulled the fish out, "I think we can throw this out," she said and pinched her nose, "Unless you have some kind of attachment to it."

"Throw it out," Antonio pointed to the garbage under the sink, "No attachment. N-nothing. Just dump it."

Emily saw the expression on Antonio's face and furrowed her brow before getting rid of the fish. She leaned against the counter when it was gone.

"Does it scare you?"

Antonio shook his head, "No."

"You couldn't get rid of it fast enough," Emily said.

"Can we stop talking about this?"

"The fish is gone, Antonio," Emily laughed, "You're back to you. You're safe now and that Nighlok, he's gone."

"I know."

"So then, if I make fish sticks for myself for lunch, will you share with me?"

Antonio shook his head, "No. I don't feel like it."

"Why not?"

"I'm thinking of staying off fish for a while," Antonio said, "After everything that happens it kind of feels like… cannibalism."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest, "You're scared."

"No I'm not. I'm just… avoiding fish."

"Like I avoided fire?" Emily asked. Antonio gulped and realized she had a point. But that was different and it was a long time ago, and he made sure to say that.

"Fire can actually kill you," he said, "You had a good reason to be scared, Em. Look, for the next little while, I want to keep my distance from the fish. It's nothing to worry about, okay? And I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the others. I don't want you starting false rumours."

"Okay," Emily nodded her head. It wasn't enough for Antonio.

"I mean it. Fire, fish, totally different. They don't scare me. I mean, sharks are kind of scary, but little fish? Fish sticks? They don't scare me."

"If you say so," Emily meant it genuinely. If Antonio said he wasn't scare, she would let the matter go. She didn't believe him, but she remembered what it was like when she first realized she was scare of fire and anything warm. It was embarrassing.

"So no starting rumours," Antonio pointed a finger at her, "Not a word to anyone."

"My lips are sealed," Emily nodded. Antonio gave her another look before turning away. He wasn't hungry anymore.

As he started to walk out, Emily called his name. He turned around.

"I meant it, Em."

"Can I have Terran back?" she asked, "his bottle is ready."

Antonio remembered he was holding Terran and nodded, "Of course," he passed the little boy back to Emily and then walked out."

-Samurai-

Mitch had been hearing rumours all day. Rumours he didn't want to believe for fear of disappointment, but if they were true, they were going to make his school year.

With his tray of food in hand, he scoped the cafeteria. He spotted his usual table with the cheerleaders and some other friends outside the squad whom he had made, but he wasn't looking for them.

Then, his eyes landed on his target. Sitting at her usual table, opposite of Coach Smith, Mitch saw Serena. As quickly as he could, without spilling his food, he made his way over and sat down.

"You're back!" he smiled brightly and gave Serena a hug. Normally he wasn't a hugger, but Serena had changed his life. If ever, one day, he was famous, he would credit all his success to her.

"Hey, buddy," Serena laughed and hugged him back, "Sorry I didn't come by your locker. I had a meeting with the principal. I would have surprised you otherwise."

"I'm just happy you're back," Mitch smiled and dug into his food. Today he was eating with Coach and Serena. He didn't care what the others thought. His friends knew he owed them a great deal and wouldn't care, and the people who did try to make fun of him weren't worth the trouble. "What made you come back?"

"Do you really think I'm staying away?" Serena asked.

Mike swallowed his mouthful, "Okay, why did you leave? Did you and Coach fix whatever it was you were fighting over?"

"We did," James nodded his head, "a while back, actually. But it took a little bit of convincing to get Serena back. When you quit for no real reason, it's hard to get rehired."

"But I'm back and that's the important thing," Serena smiled and ruffled Mitch's hair, "and I heard the school was well behaved while I was gone."

"A few incidents we needed to deal with," James said, "but most of the teachers are on board with the anti-bullying thing. They say it really helps in and out of the classroom and they're giving it a good go."

"Maybe I'm not needed then," Serena smirked just as a shadow was cast over her lunch table. She turned and saw Howie standing next to the table. She gave him a smile. The last conversation she had with him had been a good one, and she was going to start off on that foot. The past was the past. "Hey, Howie. I see you've heard the news."

"Yeah, a few people told me you were back."

James pointed to Howie, "Remember our talk with this champ?" he said to Serena, "He actually followed through with his promises. He's turning the football team around. No more violence is tolerated on or off the football field."

"That's a lot of influence," Serena smiled to Howie, "I'm glad you're using it wisely."

"Getting beaten up hurts," Howie shrugged his shoulders, "And it feels really, really bad. I can't do anything about the things I've done, but I can change."

"I'm very proud of you," Serena nodded, "You're a good man, Howie."

"Thanks," Howie smiled and then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, "I know you probably put her up to it, but your sister coming back here and apologizing to me… that was pretty brave of her. I've never been able to do it."

"Admitting you were wrong takes a lot of guts," Serena said. Howie handed her the letter.

"I realized that. I don't have the letter she wrote to me. I threw it away right after reading it because I was still mad but… I wanted to write back. I just wanted to say… you know, thanks for beating some sense into me."

"I'll make sure she gets it," Serena took the letter from James and put it in her own pocket. Howie looked down at his hands.

"Thanks, Serena. For everything. You really weren't the bad guy. I owe you."

"You've done enough," Serena assured him, "Go back with your friends. Have fun."

Howie gave Serena a final smile before he walked off to join his friends and at that moment, the bell marking the end of the lunch period rang and all the kids started to get up and hurried to their last class. The cafeteria, slowly but surely, started to drain until there were only a few students left. Students who didn't have a class to go to and were taking their time packing up their things so they could head home.

"I've got class," James said as he kissed Serena, "I'll see you later?"

"I'm staying after school," Serena nodded, "Homework club. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm excited for homework."

"Glad to be back?"

"Very," Serena smiled as James walked off. She collected her garbage on her trash and headed over to the bins to dump it. One student was standing beside the garbage pails and shooting her looks.

"You're Serena?" he asked.

"What do you need?"

"Your sister beat up the toughest guy in school," he said, "Think she can give me a few pointers? I take karate after school and need a little help with my next belt."

"Sorry," Serena shook her head, "She's not tutoring."

The student sighed as Serena tried to walk to the door but he cut her off, "Okay, then I'll just say it. The kid, she's kind of cute."

"Taken," Serena quickly said. "She's got a boyfriend."

"Who? That punk who just stood by and let her do all the ass kicking?"

Serena crossed her arms over her chest, "You know, I don't recognize you. I know nearly everyone's faces but…"

"Frankie," the student said and he held his hand out, offering to shake with Serena. She took his hand. It was the polite thing to do, even if he was hitting on her sister.

"Look, Frankie, I'm really sorry but my sister's already taken. She's in a relationship and she's happy."

"Do you know that for sure?" Frankie asked, "I'm sure she can make up her own mind about what she wants to do. Technically, unless she's married, she's fair game."

"Frankie…"

"Set something up," Frankie demanded. Serena moved away from him slightly.

"I'm really sorry, but there are plenty of other girls here in this school you can crush on. Emily's unavailable."

Serena gave him a pat on the shoulder and walked off. Frankie just huffed. He was tired of hearing no. All the other girls in his school had either rejected him already, or wouldn't even bother giving him the time of day. The girls in his neighbourhood kept their distance from him and laughed at him.

He was going to change that.

-Samurai-

Jayden had noticed there was something a little off about Antonio and he couldn't shake the feeling it had something to do with being switched into an inanimate object. If there was anything he had learned from working with a team, it was that people were all different, and the way they coped with things was different. If it was taking Antonio a little more time to bounce back, that was okay. Jayden just wanted to be able to help.

He took across from Antonio in the common room and smiled at his boyfriend.

"It feels good being back in our own bodies, huh?" he asked.

"Very good," Antonio nodded and smiled. He looked up at Jayden, "Though you were kind of cute as a gnome."

"Yeah, that fake beard was itchy," Jayden chuckled.

Scruffy pushed a ball through the room with his nose and occasionally the ball would drop a few treats. Scruffy followed the ball in a zigzag pattern and licked up the treats with his tongue. He made his way over to Antonio. The gold Ranger pulled his legs up onto his cushion and looked to Scruffy fearfully. Understandably, after nearly being eaten by the dog, he was still a little scared.

Jayden smiled and picked up the ball. He rolled it back into the hallway and then looked back at Antonio when Scruffy was gone.

"He won't eat you anymore," he said, "and he didn't mean to eat you when you were a fish. He's harmless."

Antonio nodded and lowered his feet back on the floor, "You can't blame me. Dogs do go crazy sometimes."

"Antonio, you're fine," Jayden assured him. "It's okay to be a little scared, but it's all over. You're never going to be a fish again."

Antonio sighed loudly, "I know…"

"You have nothing to be afraid of anymore," Jayden offered his boyfriend a smile, "Seriously, it's done."

"Okay," Antonio decided to nod. He wasn't feeling any better, but if Jayden knew that he wasn't going to let the matter go. He looked Jayden in the eye, "You're right."

"Of course I am," Jayden smiled, believing Antonio's lie. He got up, "if you ever want to talk about it, you know, get it off your chest, I'll listen."

"It's fine. Really. You're right. I'm never going to be a fish again. All I need to worry about are the Nighlok."


	32. Frankie's Girl

Serena smiled. This was as much an accomplishment for her as it was for the student she was helping.

"So you move the two over, multiply it by the six and there you go, 'X' equals twelve."

"It's that easy?" the student asked. Serena nodded.

"Yep."

The student closed his math book and smiled, "Thanks. I can do the rest at home. You're awesome."

Serena smiled. She couldn't remember math very well, and was surprised it had all just come flooding back to her. The hard part about her homework club was that many of the students were studying things she had never studied before. Her illness had kept her out of school and she had been too sick to keep up with homeschooling. She thought, at first, she could just pick up where she left off once she got better. Then, when she learned she was dying, she figured there was no point learning math or history or biology. She was learning just as much as the students were.

She looked up to the clock and saw it was the end of the day. Many of the students were already packing up, and the volunteers had their forms ready for her to sign, proving they had accumulated their needed hours for graduation. It was only a few months away, and many of them were working hard to catch up.

Howie especially. Serena signed off on his form happily. She wished there was more she could do to help him out, but for now this was all she could do. He was amazing with his students, and if she could hand out extra hours just for being good she would, but volunteering didn't work that way.

"Keep it up," she told him and he smiled back. He was really changing for the best and she was very proud.

When the volunteers were gone she started to pack up her stuff. James had promised to help her out, but then had to leave after school for an emergency. His brother needed him to babysit at the last minute and he couldn't say no.

Serena had her books and her bags to carry by herself. She could juggle it all, but first she needed to get organized.

"Do you need help?"

She turned around and saw Frankie standing by the door.

"I thought you went home," she told him.

"Nope," he answered and stepped into the room. He took a few books out of Serena's hands, "Here, let me help."

Serena sighed, "Frankie, if you think this will make me change my mind about my sister."

"Please, if she is going to reject my offer, I want to hear it from her."

"Why?" Serena asked. "Frankie, you're just setting yourself up for failure. She's really happy with her boyfriend right now. I've screwed up her life enough. I'm not doing it again."

"Who says you'll screw it up if you help me? It's yes or no."

"There are plenty of single girls for you to go after. If Emily ever does break up with Mike I'll have her give you a call, but seriously, I doubt that's going to happen."

"Ask her out," Frankie demanded. "Tell her I'm a really nice guy and I just want one date."

"No," Serena hated saying it, but Frankie was really starting to get on her nerves. She took her books back from him, "We're not having this conversation again. My sister, as far as you're concerned, is off limits. Understand?"

Serena walked the rest of the way down the hallway and left the school. Frankie just grumbled. This was harder than he thought. But a no wouldn't stop him. A no was a challenge to keep trying. Serena was just in the way to make his job a little more difficult and his prize all the more rewarding.

-Samurai-

Boredom. Antonio hated boredom. Boredom meant there was nothing to do.

He didn't want to fish. He didn't want to grill. He didn't want to watch the fishing channel and he was too tired to train. Besides, just the thought of his Barracuda Blade made his stomach turn.

He decided to lie down for a nap, but when he got into his room he saw something resting on his pillow.

"Emily," he frowned as he picked up a candle. Of everyone, it had to be Emily who figured it out. He would never admit it to her, but she was right. He was scared. He was scared of fish and anything fish related.

He set the candle on his night table and got into bed. Her message was clear. She was trying to compare the way he felt to what she had gone through. He could understand why she thought the two fears could be compared, but Antonio didn't feel the same way. No one would understand. Emily had a fear of fire and a fear of being too warm because those had been the things that tried to kill her, and those were dangerous. A fish? Scruffy? Those weren't deadly. They weren't going to kill him. They were pathetic.

He didn't want to talk to anyone. He didn't want help. He saw what happened to Emily when she finally did ask for help. They made her face her fears. It helped her, but it wouldn't help him. He was not going to be a fish again, and he was not going to relieve being eaten alive.

Nothing would change his mind.

-Samurai-

Serena got in and dumped her stuff on the floor by the front door. She had carried them, by herself, from the bus stop and if anyone made her carry them any further, she would use the strength she had left in her arms to rip their tongues out for suggesting something so stupid.

She walked to the common room and sat down on the couch. She was tired. She loved her job, but watching a class full of kids was exhausting and she was glad to be home.

"Perfect timing," Emily smiled and Terran was suddenly lowered in front of Serena's face, "My favourite part about being an aunt is passing him back to mommy when he makes a stinky."

"Can you handle it, Em?" Serena said, "I just need five minutes."

"You owe me," Emily wrinkled her nose, "Big time."

"I love you," Serena smirked. Emily smiled back and rolled her eyes.

"That's not what I meant," she said as she set Terran down on the floor for his change, "How was your first day back? Is the school a zoo again? Did you need to kick some butt?"

"Everything was running smoothly," Serena shook her head, "It seems the students have really learned their lesson, and the teachers were all being really supportive. It was actually nice."

"So you had a good day, and I'm still changing Stinky?"

"Because you're such an awesome sister."

Emily pinched her nose as she opened up Terran's diaper, "This isn't natural."

"You know, technically, you still owe me. I changed your diapers when you were a baby."

"If I could have pooped in a toilet, I would have," Emily wrapped the dirty diaper up and set it aside so she could put a fresh one on Terran, "but I couldn't so that doesn't count."

"Fine, I owe you. How about a date? There's this student at school."

"No," Emily shook her head, "I don't care what he looks like. You're not breaking me and Mike up."

"Relax," Serena nodded, "I'm just kidding. It's just this really pushy student at school. He saw you beating up Howie and now he's really interested in you. He wants me to ask you out for him."

"Really?" Emily asked. She couldn't help but feel a little flattered. Aside from Mike, who she loved more than anything, no one had ever shown an interest in her. She was the town loser back at home, and here at the Shiba House she was everyone's little sister. No one liked their little sister.

Serena frowned, "Why do you sound intrigued?"

"I just… it's never happened to me before except with Mike. You know how the kids back home used to pick on me. And when I'm here, people are usually looking at you or Mia. It's kind of cool how it's finally happening to me."

"But…"

Emily chuckled, "Don't worry, Serena. I'm sticking with Mike. It's just flattering, that's all."

"So if I were, hypothetically, to ask for him, you would say…?"

"No," Emily nodded, "Of course, no."

"That's what I told him," Serena held her hands out when Terran was changed and cleaned; "He didn't seem convinced. I'm sure he'll move on eventually."

Emily kept Terran in her own arms. Serena didn't change him. She had no right to play with the freshly cleaned baby.

"He'll probably forget all about it tomorrow," Emily nodded. She picked up the dirty diaper and walked away with Terran.

"Hey, squirt!" Serena called, too lazy to get up, "Give me mini squirt."

"I changed him, I play with him!" Emily called from the other room.

"Emily, he's my son!"

"My nephew!" Emily replied back and Serena could hear her blowing a raspberry, "besides, you have to find us first."

"Find you?" Serena frowned and she walked into the kitchen. Emily and Terran weren't there. She walked to her bedroom. Still nothing. Serena muttered and left to search somewhere else. "I hate hide and seek."

When she was gone from the room, her closet slid open and Emily stepped out with Terran. There was a big smile on her face, and Terran just seemed confused. He had never been inside the closet before. It was dark. He looked up at his Auntie Emy and she beamed back.

"Playtime," she sat down on the floor and collected a few of his toy. Serena always left the soft ones lying around.

-Samurai-

Antonio couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he saw Scruffy's mouth getting closer and closer, ready to devour him.

So he got up and decided to see if there was anything else to do around the house. Surely he could find something. A book or something on TV, as long as it had nothing to do with fish.

He saw Serena in the common room, looking more confused than ever.

"That's what used to happen to me when I came home from school," he chuckled lightly, "Let me guess, math's got you stumped."

"No," Serena faced him, "Have you seen Emily anywhere? She's got my son."

"Uh, no."

Serena huffed, "I've searched everywhere," she collapsed onto her stool, "I asked her to keep him for five more minutes. She changed his diaper and disappeared."

Antonio sat down on his stool, "So how was school?" as long as he wasn't talking about fish, he was fine.

"Really good," Serena said and took a break from searching for her sister and son. "The students are well behaved, for the most part. There's always some rotten apples, though."

"I'm sure you'll have them all wrapped around your finger by the end of the month."

"That's my plan," Serena smirked, "and once I control the teenager of Earth, I can rule the world."

"That's scary."

Serena nodded her head and smiled wickedly for effect before it all fell from her face.

"Seriously!" she got up from her chair and started walking out of the room, "Where's my baby?"

-Samurai-

Frankie got home from school and found himself home alone again. There was a note on the counter from him mom telling him to reheat some leftovers for dinner. This was the way his evening went most nights. His parents worked late and couldn't make it home at the same time as other parents, leaving him with a house to himself.

He flopped down on his couch and opened up his laptop. Serena had given him a firm no, but so far Emily hadn't rejected him yet. He didn't know what it was about her, but he wanted her. She was cute, she was tough enough to stand up for herself, but when he had seen her coming back to his school and apologizing to Howie, he had noticed she was also sweet and innocent. He knew she hadn't meant to hurt Howie. He had seen Howie picking on her sister and honestly, he thought the boy had gotten what he deserved. He provoked her. Emily was the innocent party.

He typed up her name in a search engine, hoping something would come up and fortunately for him, some things did. He couldn't find anything like a Facebook page or a Twitter account. She didn't seem to be into the whole social networking thing, but the people who had been around her were.

Her name appeared everywhere in Facebook posts from teenagers in a small town Frankie had never heard the name of, but when he looked it up, he saw it was only three hours from here. Apparently, according to some of the messages these people had posted, Emily used to live in that town and these people used to be her friends.

He used the term loosely. They weren't really her friends. What they were posting about her appalled him. These people had no respect. The name calling, the bitching, the laughing behind her back… it was enough to make Frankie sick.

The messages did have one good thing, though. One girl, Vicky Lablanche, had gotten Emily's cell phone number and had put it up online for all her friends to see, suggesting they text her mean comments. The post was years old, and Frankie wasn't sure if Emily was still at the same number, but it was something. He put her number in his cell phone then continued his search. How much more could he find?


	33. Frankie's Lead

Mia knew it was mean. She knew it wasn't the kind of thing a fiancée would do. She knew it wasn't the kind of thing she would do.

But she had to. She couldn't resist any longer.

"Hey, Kevin! I got a new outfit and I wanted a second opinion before I take the tags off!" she called from the bathroom and she heard Kevin getting up from the bed. She was going to give him points for being helpful. Most of her past boyfriends would have just told her she looked beautiful without really taking a look.

"When did you have time to…? MIA! That's not funny!"

Mia gently brushed her hands along the tutu she was wearing, "I'm sorry, Kevin. I couldn't resist."

"Take it off. It wasn't funny on me, and it's not funny on you."

"It's kind of funny on me," Mia said and followed Kevin out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, "It suits me, don't you think."

"I thought you wanted to be a princess, not a ballerina."

"I can be both," Mia smoothed out the tutu, "Besides, it's pink."

"Take it off."

"You're no less of a man for wearing it," Mia assured him, "Real men can pull off pink, frilly, and girly."

Kevin rolled his eyes as Mia took a seat on the bed. She gave him a smile, "Alright, what's wrong?"

"I don't appreciate the tutu. I wouldn't have done that to Mike."

"He was just messing with you. It's what little brothers do. It's not often he gets the upper hand like that. Do you think I liked having fans pinned to my shirt?"

"That's different."

"Alright," Mia nodded her head, "I understand how this could be a little humiliating for you and you're right, and it wasn't very nice of Mike. We were scared, we were vulnerable and Mike shouldn't have taken advantage of that to humiliate us further. But…"

"The dreaded but," Kevin rolled his eyes, "Why do you always but? Why do you always defend them?"

"Because you seem to have a hard time seeing the other side," Mia smiled softly. "Mike and Emily were probably stressed out. We're their friends and in one fight, they lost us all. The pressure was on, they did have babysitting, training, chores, and they had to come up with that plan. It's a lot to handle. Any of us would have been overwhelmed. If Mike needed a laugh, and if he used us to get it, that's fine with me."

Kevin shook his head, "It's fine with you but it's not fine with me."

"I get that," Mia nodded, "I really do, Kevin and if it's bothering you this much you should go talk to him. I'm sure he'll apologize. He's a good kid at heart, you know that. Sometimes, though, he can't help but have a little fun. It keeps him focused. Like it or not, we lightened the mood a bit. Walking by you in a tutu, Jayden with a beard and pointy hat, me with fans, it must have been funny. It must have been a well needed laugh. They had a hard time too."

Kevin rolled his eyes again, this time at Mia, "You're always right. Stop."

Mia chuckled, "I'm just good at it."

"I think I will talk to Mike, though. I guess he wasn't trying to humiliate me on purpose."

"Before you go," Mia smirked, "the tutu I could have lived without, but seriously, you should wear pink more often. It suits you."

"You're biased."

"Are you really concerned about my biases?"

Kevin shook his head as Mia leaned in. He wrapped his arms around her as they both fell into the mattress.

-Samurai-

Serena had learned her lesson. Emily was a champ at hide and seek and it had taken Serena hours before she managed to find her sister and son. They had hidden right under her nose. The entire time she had searched for them, they had been playing in her bedroom. It had been the second place she had looked and she never thought to look back. So, for the next few days, when she got back from work, she took Terran from Emily right away, dirty diaper or not.

"Can I play with him now?" Emily begged and Serena laughed and shook her head.

"Nope."

"You suck."

"That'll teach you to hide from me."

"Two can play this game," Emily muttered before she felt something vibrate in her pocket. She picked up her phone and rolled her eyes. She set it down on the table.

"Who is it?" Serena asked.

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know, don't care. The last stranger who got one of our numbers turned out to be Dekker, and you remember how that ended."

"Keep your phone off. You don't need it anyways. We've all got Samuraizers."

"But mom and dad…"

"Until whomever it is stops spamming you, if there's an emergency, they can call my phone."

"Do they know your new number?"

"Of course," Serena nodded her head. After her incident with the strange messages she had changed her number and refused to hand it out to anyone but her parents, teammates and now James. Only the people she knew and trusted could get her new number.

Emily felt a little better and turned her cell phone off. She hated being out of reach from her parents. If something happened, it would be harder for them to reach her, but they did have Serena's number and that was good enough.

"Speaking of numbers," Emily smiled, "That guy at your school who wanted to ask me out, has he been bugging you?"

"He's settling down," Serena said, "I guess it was just a phase."

"That doesn't sound like a complement," Emily frowned. Serena just chuckled.

"Don't worry, Em. It's what a lot of guys your age do. They chase until they get bored and then move onto something else. He's probably drooling over a cheerleader now or something. Someone more available than my near-engaged sister."

"Oh well," Emily shrugged, "It was flattering while it lasted. Now give me baby."

-Samurai-

Frankie came home to an empty house again, but it no longer bothered him as much, nor did his mother's suggestion for another leftover dinner. He wasn't sure how she managed to pull it off. He never saw her cooking and yet the fridge was always filled with leftovers.

Like every other afternoon after school, he plopped down on the couch and opened up his laptop and a notebook. Trying to find a way to meet Emily in person was hard because she didn't have any social networking pages and he couldn't get information directly from her, but people from her past were always willing to share. Though it seemed she had been gone for over a year, her old classmates from her hometown still posted mean comments about her and make up theories about where she had disappeared to. Most laughed and said she had probably realized her worth and killed herself. This angered Frankie.

It had only been a few days since he had asked Serena to set something up for him and Emily, but the more time that past, and the more he discovered, the more he started to really crave Emily. He couldn't get her out of his head. All the mean things posted about her made him angry, but it also showed him just how special she was. After what looked like years of being bullied, she finally got to have her revenge with Howie. She beat him into the ground, something Frankie was sure she deserved, and yet she still found a way to be the bigger person. She was in her right to kick the shit out of Howie and walk away, claiming that as a lot awaited revenge for the years or torment, but she was too good for that.

Emily deserved so much more than what she had. For starters, she needed a boyfriend who would stand up for her. One who would beat up the bullies for her. One who would tell all these internet bitches that they were the ones who were no good.

He checked his cell phone for any messages from her. He had been texting her quite a bit, hoping it was the right number, and he asked if they could meet up at the park, but Emily never got back to him.

Seeing the empty inbox, Frankie tossed his phone across the living room. He knew she was getting these messages, but she was probably ignoring them. Her current boyfriend was probably telling her to ignore them. He was keeping her all to himself and he didn't even deserve her. Frankie wished there was more online for him to discover, but it seemed Emily was a rather private person.

He was going to have to find out for himself. The city was big, but it wasn't that big. People from all over went to the park, gathered at the plaza; teenagers hung out in the malls all the time. Eventually he would run into her.

He got up, taking his cell phone with him and walked to the door. Serena occasionally came to school with hair on her clothes, and it seemed like dog hair or some kind of pet hair. Maybe he could run into Emily at the park. People brought their dogs there to run around all the time. It was a start.

-Samurai-

Antonio was only starting to realize now just how much fish related stuff was around the Shiba House.

For one, the others wouldn't stop asking him if he was going to out to fish. They never cared before, but now that he suddenly decided not to go anymore, they were suddenly all curious.

Then, his fishing gear kept popping up. A stray lure here, a container of bait there. It was the strangest thing.

Finally, someone thought it would be funny to suggest a sushi dinner. Antonio could barely keep his last meal down as he stared at the sushi. He knew what it was made of: fish.

"You're normally starving come dinner time," Jayden commented as he saw Antonio's untouched plate.

"I'm not hungry today," he said, "I had a late lunch."

"Are you sure?" Jayden asked. His tone indicated he was slightly concerned so Antonio forced a bright smile. He picked up his plate.

"Yeah, I'll eat it later when I'm hungry."

He walked to the fridge and set the sushi aside. When the others were gone he would get rid of it.

"Well, if you're done eating and I'm done eating, maybe you can walk Scruffy with me," Emily smiled, "I can't take him out while I'm with Terran."

"I thought Mike did," Antonio said.

"She likes to walk with Scruffy at least once," Mike said through a mouthful of food, earning himself a slap on the back of the head from Mia.

Emily chuckled and nodded her head. She brought her plate to the sink and set it down, "It's relaxing. C'mon!"

She pulled Antonio right out of the room and Antonio knew why. This was not going to be a walk he had to enjoy. He would lie about his fear until he was dead, but he hated lying. He hated lying to his friends when all they were doing was trying to help him.

At the table, Mentor let out a small laugh, causing the others to look at him. He looked back and shrugged.

"Emily? Relaxing? That's funny. I've been drinking more and more coffee since she's been here. I need it to keep up with her."

"And her and Antonio together," Jayden nodded his head, "I think Scruffy's going to come back exhausted."


	34. Fearing Fish

After dinner, Kevin had been given the perfect opportunity to talk to Mike. The ballerina incident was long in the past, and Mia helped him to understand Mike was deliberately trying to humiliate him, but it still bothered him and he still thought a talk with the green Ranger would help.

He walked into the common room, where Mike was playing video games, and shut off the TV.

"NO!" Mike cried as his eyes widened and his jaw slowly dropped. His controller fell out of his hand, "I was so close…"

"Mike, we need to talk," Kevin said as seriously as he could. He grabbed a stool and sat down, angling himself so he was looking right at Mike, "It's about the tutu."

"Dude, don't worry. That picture's just for private teasing," Mike smiled and pulled out his Samuraizer, "I'm not going to put it up on the internet or anything, I promise."

"That's not what I want to talk about. The dressing us up thing, that was mean."

"It was just a laugh," Mike shrugged, "C'mon, Kevin; even you have to admit it was kind of funny."

"Maybe for the others, but for me it was embarrassing."

"Dude, it's just a tutu. It doesn't mean anything."

"I still feel embarrassed. When we were trapped inside objects, we knew what was going on. We could all talk to each other and we saw what you and Emily were doing."

"Yeah, I got that…"

"That means we were conscious inside the objects and it was, I'll admit, pretty scary. We were trapped, our bodies and our spirits were vulnerable… it was a bad feeling, really."

"I get it," Mike nodded, "I was pretty scared too. Taking on a Nighlok by myself…"

"You had Emily."

"Did you think I was going to let something happen to her?" Mike asked. "If she got switched, you know how bad that was. And if I got switched that would leave her all alone. That's terrifying too."

"I understand Mike, but we're not talking about Emily. I didn't appreciate the tutu. It made a bad situation worse."

"I wasn't trying to make you feel bad," Mike looked down at his controller, "I was just trying to get a laugh. I didn't think you'd hate it this much."

"I do."

"I'm sorry," Mike looked up and into Kevin's eyes, showing the blue Ranger the apology was genuine. "I was just thinking how funny it would be for me and Em. We both needed a laugh."

"I get it," Kevin smiled. "Just remember that next time something like this happens. No pink frilly tutus, nothing embarrassing, just a good old fashion ass kicking for the Nighlok."

"Deal. So we're all good?"

"We're all good."

"Okay, then dude, move out of the way," Mike leaned to the side, trying to see the TV screen around Kevin, "Before you came in I was so close to defeating the boss!"

Kevin got up and shook his head. Same old Mike, always looking for the fun.

-Samurai-

Emily had gone to the park with Scruffy and Antonio. When the gold Ranger wouldn't eat his sushi, Emily seemed to be the only person who knew why. Rather than confront Antonio about his fear of fish in front of everyone, she thought he would have an easier time if it was just her and him.

Antonio kept his distance from Scruffy, but he did join her on the walk. Understandably, he was a little scared of the dog, but he had gotten used to Scruffy's presence because the dog was around the house all the time and hadn't once trying to eat Antonio since the fish incident. Antonio was still nervous, but not terrified.

When they got to the park, Emily started to throw Scruffy's ball, playing a game of fetch. She launched it as far as she could and while Scruffy raced off to bring it back, Emily looked to Antonio.

"There are no stupid fears, you know."

"Can we not talk about it?"

"Antonio, you saw what happened to me! I nearly froze to death and drowned. If Mike didn't have to pee when he did, I would be dead because I was too scared to ask for help."

"I doubt fish are going to kill me," Antonio rolled his eyes, "Look Em, I've got a slight aversion right now, but it's nothing to worry about. You need to drop it."

"Antonio…"

"Drop it, Emily. Just throw the ball with Scruffy until he's tired and then we'll walk home."

"I won't tell the others if you let me help," Emily promised, "I won't tell Jayden or Serena or Mike. I'm a good secret keeper, you know that."

"There is no secret to keep, Emily. I am not afraid of fish. What kind of fisherman would be?"

"The kind who had a near death experience as a fish."

"Is getting help really scarier than keeping it all bottled up?"

"No, because I don't need help."

"Fine," Emily crossed her arms over her chest, "The lake here has some fish. Why don't you go catch one?"

"I don't have a rod or bait."

"Use your hands."

"That's not easy."

"Try, at least."

"No, Emily this is stupid," Antonio shook his head and turned around, "I'm getting a hot dog before the vendor closes up. When I get back, you're going to stop talking about fish."

"Antonio…"

"Stop it, Emily," Antonio barked and stormed off towards the vendor. Emily just huffed and went to sit down at the picnic table nearby. She looked over to Scruffy, wondering where he had gone with the ball, but saw the dog was busy chasing down a squirrel. She rolled her eyes and laughed. At least someone was having fun.

A little ways off, sitting in the grass, Frankie was looking up, shocked by his luck. It must have been fate, it must have been destiny, but there she was, the love of his life, sitting at a picnic table in the very same park he had decided to visit. His first try had been his first success. It had to be a sign; it had to mean something good.

He pulled out his cell phone and wanted to take pictures. Looking around to make sure no one was staring, he snapped a few quick photographs from afar before deciding to get a little closer. As soon as he was up, he was taken right off his feet again as he felt something crashing right into his legs and he landed back on the ground.

"Scruffy!"

He tried to get up, but when he put some weight on his left hand it gave out, hurting like he had never felt before. As he sat down to inspect it, realizing he had landed on it, he hears someone approach him.

"I'm so sorry! My dog's a big goof. Are you okay?"

He looked up, completely delighted. Fate was playing with him again. Another good sign. He was sure this meant that he and Emily were supposed to be together.

"I'm okay," he told her. He didn't want her to worry about him. He was fine. His wrist was sore but it was nothing worth getting upset over.

"That looks bad," Emily noticed he was holding his wrist, "Here, let me have a look."

She touched his hand and Frankie's heart soared. He felt the sparks, the magic, the instant connection. He never wanted her to let go. Despite the pain he felt when she touched his hand; this was the best feeling in the world for Frankie. One he never wanted to end.

"It looks like it's sprained pretty bad," Emily said, "You should probably see your doctor or something."

"Em, c'mon!"

Emily turned around and saw Antonio with his hot-dog in hand, "C'mon, let's go."

Emily nodded, signalling she would be with him in just a minute. She pulled Scruffy's leash from her pocket and clipped it to his collar and then held the dog in close so he wouldn't cause any more trouble.

"I'm really sorry about Scruffy but I've got to go; my friend is waiting for me. Make sure you get that wrist looked at."

Frankie nodded his head and smiled, "I will."

"Emily! Come on!" Antonio called again, obviously very impatient to get going.

Emily looked over her shoulder and then back to the stranger her dog had bowled over. She felt bad, really bad, and couldn't bring herself to leave without making sure he was okay, but Antonio was making it impossible to stay around any longer.

"I hate to hit and run but…"

"Emily!"

Frankie didn't want to say anything to make her leave. He wanted her to stay with him and never leave his sight. Her friend was really making that challenging.

"Do you come by here often?" he asked.

"Most days," Emily nodded her head, "Scruffy's got a lot of energy… as you found out."

"Yeah, well, I'll come by soon," he would come by everyday even if it meant skipping a few classes until he figured out her schedule. When she came to the park, how often she came, who she came with. "I can tell you about my arm then."

Emily nodded and smiled, "Okay. Make sure you do. I feel really bad."

Frankie beamed a goofy smile. He was so head over heels in love and he barely knew her.

"I'll be fine. I'll see you around."

"Emily!" Antonio called again and this time he came over and started to pull her away, "Leave the poor kid alone and let's get home before it gets dark."

He pulled her out of the park and towards the streets. When they got to a corner and had to wait for the light, Emily placed her hands on her hips.

"That was rude."

"Em…"

"Scruffy knocked him over. He sprained his wrist! I should have stayed to make sure he was okay."

"It's a sprain, Emily."

"So?"

Antonio sighed, "We had to get out of there, okay."

"Why?"

Antonio looked nervous and slightly embarrassed, "It's getting dark."

"So?"

The light turned green and it was safe to cross. Antonio started to walk quickly and Emily had to jog to keep up with him.

"Antonio, what?"

"You stuck me in the fridge, okay," he said, "It was cold, and dark, kind of like the weather once the sun goes down."

"You're scared of the dark and fish?"

"I'm not scared."

"Antonio…"

"I have a temporary aversion."

"It's called avoidance," Emily huffed. "You avoid what you're scared of, but that only makes the fear worse."

"I don't have a fear!"

Emily grabbed Antonio's arm, "You can tell me. I won't laugh, I won't make fun of you. I just want to help."

"No," Antonio pulled away from Emily and continued walking. He made it a few paces before he realized Emily wasn't following him. He turned around and saw her standing in the middle of the sidewalk, arms crossed and looking very, very defiant, "Emily, I swear…"

"I'm not moving until you admit you're scared."

"Then you're staying here all night," Antonio turned around, "I'm going home."

He took a few more pacing, thinking Emily would back down and follow, but she didn't move. He turned back around.

"Emily, I'm serious."

"Me too."

"Emily, you're not staying out here in the middle of the night. This isn't a good part of town when it gets dark, especially for you."

"All you have to do is admit you're scared, even a little bit, and I'll go home."

"Emily…"

"I won't tell anyone if you don't want me too, but you need to talk to someone. You need someone who will help you."

"Like you did?"

"If you want to do what I did, you're going to end up drowning in a bathtub. None of us want that."

"Emily…"

"Admit it or I won't move."

Antonio groaned and rolled his eyes, "Fine," he walked back over to her and just when she thought he was going to admit to being scared he grabbed her and tried to carry her over his shoulder. Emily screamed, drawing attention from the other people on the street. Antonio quickly put her down.

"Emily, I'm serious…"

"Me too. Say it, or you're going to have to explain to everyone back home why some crazy killer is sending you my body in several packages. What's scarier? Opening a bag of bones or admitting to me what I already know?"

Antonio gave Emily a hard, hard look before finally sighing.

"Fine. The whole fish thing freaks me out. Scruffy's growing on me again, but the fish, fish related stuff and that stupid cold, dark fridge… I'm scared, okay."

Emily smiled, "See, that wasn't so hard."

"Tell a soul and that crazy killer will be me," Antonio said, "I don't want the others knowing."

"Why not?"

"The fish guy is afraid of fish? The man who sparkles is scared of the dark?"

"You were turned into a fish, nearly eaten by a dog, and stuffed in a fridge for a day," Emily said, "The others aren't going to laugh or make fun of you or do anything bad. They'll understand! They'll try to help."

"I don't want their help."

"Antonio," Emily touched his arm, "when I got scared, my fear got so bad I didn't want Mike to hug me because it was too warm. It was the most ridiculous trigger but it was real. It freaked me out and it was humiliating. But when I told you guys, you helped me through it. You didn't laugh at me."

"You were scared of fire…"

"I was scared of being hugged! I was scared of wearing a sweater, warm showers, sleeping with the blankets. You think that's less ridiculous that being scared of fish?"

"I'll talk to them when I'm ready," Antonio promised and gave Emily a look that told her she was winning, "but just… don't…"

"I won't tell them," Emily said, "I'll let you do that. But don't put it off, okay. We need you to shine like gold when we fight the Nighlok. You can't do that if you're scared of your Barracuda Blade."

Antonio gulped. That thought had crossed his mind before and he was worried about what it would mean for him as the gold Ranger, and for his friends who were counting on him.

"I promise, Em."

"Good," Emily smiled and took his hand, "You'll be okay. Do you want to walk Scruffy the rest of the way home?"

Antonio shook his head, "I'd rather not."

Emily chuckled and nodded, "I guess being next to him is already a bit of progress."


	35. The Note and The Picture

Antonio couldn't move. His arms were pinned to his sides, his legs were stuck together. All he could do was flop around. Flop, flop, flop, like a fish.

He couldn't breathe, and not just because he knew he was back in his fish body, but because fish couldn't breathe unless they were in the water. They weren't made to breathe air like humans. Antonio tried gasping loudly but nothing was coming. He was drowning in the open air and unable to move around. All he could do was flop, gasp, and pray for someone to come save him.

He saw a shadow approaching. He heard footsteps. Someone was coming. He gasped a little louder, hoping whoever it was could hear him. He flopped and flipped and made as much noise as he possibly could. But that's when he saw it. It wasn't a person coming to his rescue, but a dog. It was Scruffy.

"_NO!"_ he screamed in his mind. It was all he could do. His arms and legs were pinned and all the flopping around seemed to drag the dog in closer. Antonio was food, but he also looked like a toy.

Scruffy reached out, opening his mouth wide, exposing his sharp, canine teeth. Antonio screamed as the dog's jaw came in closer and closer.

Suddenly, it all went black.

-Samurai-

Antonio opened his eyes. He was coated in sweat and panting loudly. He ran his hands down his face. It was still dark out. There was still hours before anyone else would be up. They were all sleeping peacefully. That wasn't an option for Antonio anymore. If he closed his eyes, he saw the inside of Scruffy's mouth again.

Scruffy, the fish… it was all too much. Emily was right, he was scared. He was terrified. He knew it was best to talk to the others but what would they say? How would they react? They didn't laugh at Emily because, well, who would? She's their little Emily, their little sister, the one no one wanted to see hurt or scared.

Antonio, he was just the goof. He liked to tease the others and they would tease back. They would make fun of him for sure. He couldn't have that happen. He couldn't give them a chance like that.

He got up out of bed, careful not to wake up Jayden, and walked to the kitchen. Some tea would help for sure.

As he started to boil the water he looked out the window. It seemed like this would have been a good morning to go fishing, but he couldn't bring himself to even think about getting ready to leave. He wanted nothing to do with fish, with fishing, with grilling fish, or anything to do with any of the creatures from under the sea.

And while he was at it, he wanted to keep his distance from Scruffy. There was no way the little monster would eat him.

The water boiled and Antonio poured it into a mug. He prepared his tea and sat down at the table. He pulled out his Samurai Morpher. What was he going to do now as the gold Ranger? He was terrified of the Octozord, terrified of the Clawzord, and there was no way he could use his Barracuda Blade. The name of his weapon, the look of his weapon… it was fishy. It was all very fishy.

He could fight hand to hand. He was good enough to hold off a couple of Moogers.

"Moogers?" Antonio shook his head, "What kind of challenge are Moogers?"

Since the Black Box had turned up, the Moogers were really no threat. A single Ranger, without any help, could take out an army of them. The Nighlok, they were the real threat, they were the ones who put his team in danger. The Moogers were just a distraction, a warm up; like stretches before a jog.

And hand to hand wasn't an option against most Nighlok. With most Nighlok, the Rangers were lucky if they could get close enough to use their swords. With tentacles flying around, blasts of energy, and sneaky, special powers, hand to hand combat was a stupid, stupid choice to fight.

So if he couldn't fight what could he do? He wouldn't be the cheerleader on the sidelines, "You go, Jay!", "Yeah, show them, Kevin", "That's how you do it, Mike", "Kick his ass, Mia!", "You're rocking it, Em!"

No way. He wasn't going to be the dopey cheerleader. Besides, he couldn't stand around and cheer, that would make him an open target, a distraction for the Rangers. They would have to protect him, take hits for him. What if they got hurt because of him? Because he couldn't fight.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't pretend anymore. He set his Samurai Morpher down on the table, finished his tea and then walked back to his room. He pulled a bag out from under his bed and started to collect his stuff.

He wrote a note. He couldn't leave without telling them why. They deserved an answer and they deserved a goodbye. In the note he wished them luck. He told them to work together, to never give up, and to remember to loosen up and have fun whenever they could. It was important.

He placed the note on the kitchen counter. The note ended with a big apology. He knew he was letting them down, but he would rather they be disappointed in him than hurt. He could see Kevin rolling his eyes. Kevin would probably be mad that Antonio gave up, saying that wasn't the way the Samurai operated. Mike would probably try to come up with excuses for Antonio as a way to protect him against Kevin's criticisms. After Jayden, Mike was Antonio's best friend. They were close and Mike had always believed in Antonio.

Mia would likely feel bad for Antonio. She would probably wish she had seen him trying to leave so she could convince him to stay. He wanted to tell her it wouldn't be worth it. It didn't matter what she said, he would leave anyways.

Serena might come out to try and find him. She'd try to track him down and she would imagine herself dragging him home by the other ear (the one she hadn't already nearly pinched off), and then give him an earful for walking out. That wasn't going to happen. Antonio was going to make sure the others wouldn't find him.

He wondered what Emily was going to do. He wondered if she would tell the others everything. In the note, he just told the Samurai that after the fish incident he was a different man, and that man couldn't fight. Would she tell them about his fear of fish? Would she be hurt that he didn't do as he promised? He told her he would talk when he was ready, but now he had decided to just walk away. Would she be angry because he lied to her? Angry because he had been part of the process to get her to face her fear of fire and he couldn't handle fish?

And then there was Jayden. After everything the red Ranger had been through he didn't deserve this. Jayden had gone through years of adolescent self-discovery in a matter of months and had finally reached a state where he could be happy. Antonio felt like he was ruining that, pushing Jayden back. He knew he was going to hurt the red Ranger a lot and he hated himself for doing so, but the others would pick him up. They would take care of him. Antonio was leaving him in good hands.

He walked to the front door and dropped his key in the bowl. He didn't need it anymore. He wouldn't be coming back. He gave the house one last look.

His stupid dream of being a Samurai was coming to an end. What kind of Samurai was scared of fish? What kind of Samurai ran away? What kind of Samurai abandoned his friends? The gold kind.

"I'm really sorry, guys," he whispered as he closed the door and walked off.

-Samurai-

Later in the day, Serena had no idea that there was anything wrong back home. She had gotten a late start and rushed out of the house, unaware Antonio had left a note on the counter. Today, of all days, Terran had decided he would sleep in for the first time and Serena had woken up with one hour to get showered, cleaned up, and get her ass inside the school.

She made it just a little late and hoped the cafeteria was still open so she could grab something to eat. She hadn't even stopped by the kitchen at home and so her stomach was rumbling loudly.

But as she walked into the seating area she saw the cafeteria doors closing and groaned loudly. Her stomach did as well.

"Dammit."

"Muffin?" over her shoulder appeared a muffin and she didn't hesitate to grab it. She heard James chuckling and turned around.

"You're a life saver."

"High praise coming from one of the Samurai," James smiled. "When I saw you were late I bought an extra. Let me guess, Terran?"

"Most parents would be happy when their baby lets them sleep in."

"Don't you own an alarm?"

Serena laughed, "Yeah, because when Terran wakes me up at five in the morning, the first thing I want to do is set another alarm that will wake him back up right after I get him to fall asleep."

"Point taken."

"Besides, I've never really owned an alarm. I used to share a room with my sister."

"You poor thing," James teased. Serena rolled her eyes and finished the muffin before looking at the clock.

"Shouldn't you be in class?"

"There's an assembly. All the students are gathered in the gym."

"Shouldn't you be with your students?"

"How many students do you think really want to attend assemblies?" James laughed, "I'll bet you half of mine decided to skip this morning and are still in bed. The other half is probably down the street eating real food at that new Chinese restaurant that opened up."

"Bastards," Serena muttered.

"The Chinese restaurant people or the students?"

"The students," Serena said, "the ones still in bed."

James shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, well the assembly's an important one for them. All about school safety and what to do if a monster attacks in the area."

"You'll all be fine," Serena promised, "You've got a Samurai on staff, remember?"

"A Samurai who can barely make it to work on time."

"Shut up," Serena muttered and started to walk the halls. Given she had no students to look over, she figured she could try to catch the ones who were hoping to skip the assembly. James came with her for unneeded back up, but he had been given a free period to spent time with her and he was going to take it.

Down the hallway, Serena did see one student hanging by his locker and he seemed to be pinning something to the inside, a job that could easily be done over his lunch period and not when attendance was mandatory. She and James walked over.

"Frankie, Frankie," she shook her head, "What are you going to do if a monster starts blowing up the building?"

"Run and scream?" Frankie shrugged his shoulders and he tried to close his locker door before Serena or Coach Smith could see what he was pinning up. He stuffed the rest of his stuff inside but one of his pictures slipped out of his grasp. Serena went to pick it up.

"Put your stuff away and then…" Serena trailed off when she saw what was in the picture. It was Emily, her little sister. She glared at Frankie. "Where did you get this?"

"That's mine," he tried to snatch the picture from Serena's hands but she pulled it out of his reach.

"This is a picture of my sister," she said, "Where would you have gotten this, Frankie? You don't know her."

"I do know her," Frankie said. He pointed to his arm which he had wrapped in a bandage, "She gave me this."

"What?"

"We met at the park and her dog tripped me. I hurt my wrist and she was really nice to me."

Serena turned to James. She couldn't believe this. She wanted to rip Frankie's arm out for crushing on her little sister but she knew she couldn't. There were too many cameras.

"Did my sister give you permission to take this picture?"

"I was in the park taking pictures and she just happened to be in the shot."

"Front and center?" Serena asked, "In focus?"

Frankie nodded his head, "You can't do anything about it."

"This is creepy! What were you doing at the park anyways?"

"It's a public place. I can be wherever I want."

James decided to step in. He pulled Serena back slightly. If he let the banter continue, he knew her anger was just going to escalate until she either punched Frankie or… well, she punched Frankie.

"Look, Frankie, you have to understand how this might look to Serena. You're right, technically you can take pictures, but you're walking on a very, very fine line here."

Frankie growled.

"You can't do this. All the other boys in this school have pictures of girls in their lockers. Girls in bikinis. You're going to let them have those, but you won't let me have a picture of Emily?"

"No," Serena shook her head.

James sighed, "Those pictures the boys have are from magazines. They didn't take them themselves without permission."

"How do you know I don't have permission?"

"Frankie…"

These are mine," Frankie finally snatched the pictures from Serena's hands and stuffed them in his locker. He locked up his stuff and turned away. "You can't tell me who to love."

"Love?" James furrowed his brow. He had gotten the impression that there was some sort of attraction on Frankie's part, but love was a big deal.

James turned around. He saw Serena's face was twitching as she tried to keep her cool.

"Serena," he placed his hands on her arms, "Serena, let it go. It's weird, but I'm sure the kid is harmless."

"That's my sister."

"I know, but, you sister is… I mean… in a non-creepy way…"

"She's younger than some of the seniors here."

"While I am in no way attracted to your sister, it's understandable that the boys her age will find her attractive. Frankie may have pictures of her, but if that's it, then that's it. Might as well let him keep them and maybe he'll keep admiring from afar."

"You're on thin ice, Smith."

James rubbed Serena's arms, "Besides, you're sister's a yellow Power Ranger," he whispered, "Frankie's a kid who nearly failed gym class in grade nine. Something tells me she can take care of herself."

Serena glanced sideways at the locker. She wanted to rip it open and pull out all the pictures of her sister that she knew Frankie was stashing. She wanted to rip them to pieces and destroy any and all his devices that would allow him to take anymore pictures. And she wanted to slap the boy upside the head for even suggesting he had a right to take pictures of her little Emily.

"C'mon, Serena, let's just walk away before you lose this job again."

"I'll be watching him like a hawk."

"Let's go."

"If that little creep makes one move, I'll make sure he can never make a move on another human being for the rest of his life."

"Keep walking," James was guiding her to another hallway of the school, hoping he could get her to take her mind off the incident. He knew it was creepy, he knew it was weird; he knew he needed to keep a close eye on Frankie. But a few pictures would hardly give Serena the right to hurt the student.

"He's got a crush on her, you know," Serena said. "He demanded I try to set something up."

"All guys have crushes, Serena. All guys have pictures of women they find attractive. Whether it's a model, a celebrity, a friend…"

"My sister?"

"Let's just keep walking," James gently pushed Serena further down the hall. "Just keep walking."


	36. Empty and Slightly Damaged

Antonio needed one thing. Solitude.

He couldn't go home. Not this time. The Nighlok knew him too well at this point. He was too closely connected to the Rangers that he was still a danger. Going home to his father, without his Samurai Morpher, was too risky. So Antonio needed a place to live and a job to afford that place, without running into too many people. Not until he could blend into the city and leave Xandred and the Nighlok to forget there ever was a gold Ranger. After all, with so many centuries of history between the Samurai and the Nighlok, his stay would barely leave a mark.

He found an old part of town where no one went. Not even the Nighlok liked the venture down here because there was no one to terrorize. He would be safe here.

His stomach rumbled. Had he brought his cart with him, he would have had some fish to eat for a couple of days, but his fear of fish prevented him from eating it so he was left with nothing. He barely had any money left over anymore. It had been hard to work in the winter and what little money he did have had been stolen at the flea market. Mike and Emily forgot to take his little safe with the money he had collected with them. It wasn't their fault, but he really wished they hadn't forgotten.

Feeling like a homeless man on the streets, Antonio gathered up what he could find to make a shelter. Despite the sign that prohibited dumping, the city seemed to leave all their unwanted items here and no one cared. No one came to this part of town to complain, and the police had other things to deal with.

He made his shelter and crawled inside. Curled up in a ball, he realized he wasn't used to being alone. He had never been alone in his life before. Even after leaving his father to travel and find the Samurai, he had Octozord with him. Octozord had been his best friend before he met the Rangers. Octozord had always been by his side. But Octozord was a squid and squids scared Antonio just as much as fish.

A tear slipped down his cheek. He was scared, he was alone, he had no idea where to go, or what would happen.

"Stupid Rangers," he muttered, "Stupid Nighlok… stupid fish."

-Samurai-

Serena got home from work looking like she was ready to kill. She needed to have a serious talk with her sister about Frankie's behaviour. She knew it wasn't Emily's fault, but the first step to keeping her sister away from Frankie was to get Emily to understand she needed to keep her distance from strangers. The talk wouldn't be too hard, just really awkward.

But the house was empty. The only sound Serena heard was Mentor Ji making strange farm noises (he was playing with Terran) and grunts and screams from the dojo. No video game sound effects, no talking or laughing or running or fighting.

Where was everyone? They weren't all training, were they?

She walked into the dojo and saw Jayden was beating up a punching bag. No sword training, no weapons at all, just Jayden's fists flying.

"Jayden," Serena called his name but Jayden was somewhere else entirely. He was so focused on the bag he had no idea she was home. He beat and beat into it until it finally broke. Jayden ripped it down and started beating it up on the ground.

Something was wrong, Serena noted, as she raced over and pulled Jayden off the bag.

"Jay…"

Jayden grabbed her and pinned her to the ground. He was so focused on beating up the punching bag that he was about to drive his fist right into her face. Fortunately, he stopped inches from her nose. He got up off her and walked to his water bottle. Serena approached him carefully.

"Jayden, what happened? Where is everyone?"

"Antonio's gone."

"What?"

"He left in the middle of the night," Jayden said and clutched his water bottle tightly. Serena could hear the plastic crunching and the water was flowing over the top. "He quit."

Serena shook her head. It took a moment for the words to hit her.

"He… he quit?"

"The others are looking for him," Jayden nodded, "They've been out all day but they won't find him."

Jayden took a seat on the bench. He dropped the water bottle and held his head in his hands. Serena heard him sobbing and her heart broke. She sat down beside Jayden and wrapped her arms around him. She didn't ask another question or say another word. She just let him cry on her shoulder.

-Samurai-

"Antonio!" Emily shouted, hoping he would answer and come out of hiding, but no such luck. She had been out for hours with the others looking for their gold Ranger but was coming up short. If it was possible, it seemed like Antonio had been wiped off the face of the planet. Calls were being sent right through to voicemail, there was no way to track him because his morpher was at home, and no one had seen him.

Mia and Kevin thought it best to check his usual hang outs, thinking he would go there. Emily knew better but decided to let them try. They had to check everywhere after all. But she knew Antonio was scared of fish and everything fish related. He wouldn't go near the water or anywhere he set up his cart to sell fish. He wouldn't go to the harbour, he would find a lake or river, she knew he wouldn't be there.

Mike had come with her at first, but the city was so big, they eventually had to split up. They had their Samuraizers with them and turned on so they could keep in constant communication, but now they were on their own. Emily was sure that by now Mia and Kevin had done the same. There was no way two groups could cover even half of the city in one day.

Emily decided to take a break on a park bench and quickly called Mike's Samuraizer to check in with him so she knew he was okay and he knew she was okay. She spoke with him for a minute, disappointed but not surprised that he hadn't even found a clue of where Antonio was or had been. Then she hung up and took a quick breather.

"Emily," she heard someone say her name and her head wiped around, hoping for Antonio.

Frankie couldn't believe his luck. Fate wanted him and Emily together despite what Serena believed. This was fate giving him the go ahead.

There she was, the love of his life, sitting alone on a park bench just waiting for him to turn up. Like he had promised himself, after school, every day, he would walk around and search for her. Eventually he knew he would find her and eventually he would learn her routine. What she did, where she went, and how often she went to those places.

He took a seat next to her and showed her his wrist, "You were right. It is a sprain."

"Sorry," Emily muttered. She was apologetic, but she was too worried about Antonio to really get that tone to Frankie. She just sighed, "How is it now?"

"Better," Frankie smiled. He saw she wasn't smiling and he wanted to know why. Had someone hurt her? Was it her boyfriend? Her boyfriend was no good for her anyways. She was better off with him. She must have known it. Why else would she be alone where he could find her? "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Emily was a horrible liar. She was good with lies when they involved keeping someone's secrets but when she had to lie about who ate the last cookie, why she didn't do her homework, or how she was feeling, people genuinely saw right through her.

"No you're not," Frankie moved in a little closer. Emily didn't move away. She didn't even notice. Frankie thought she didn't mind that he was getting closer. He thought she liked it. "You can tell me."

"It's nothing," Emily shook her head, "Besides, I've bothered you enough. I'm really, really sorry about the sprain…"

"Don't worry about it," Frankie shrugged it off like it was nothing. He had been laughed at in school but he was always being laughed at. Even without the sprain, the other kids would have found something else about him to make fun of, "I know you're sorry about it. Most people would have just apologized from far and called their dog back, not even bothering to see how I was. You cared enough to make sure I was okay. I feel like _I_ owe _you_."

He wanted to earn her trust. He wanted to make her feel special because, well, she was. She was everything to him.

"If you just want someone to rant to," Frankie said, "you can rant to me."

"Don't you have somewhere to be?"

Frankie shook his head. Emily sighed.

"You know my friend from the park? He won't answer his calls and… well he kind of ran away."

"What do you mean?" Frankie frowned. A little part of him was disappointed this had nothing to do with her boyfriend. But, then again, maybe it did. Frankie started to assume Emily was using friend as a code for boyfriend. Maybe she was having troubles with her relationship. Maybe he wasn't treating her like the goddess she was and he could rescue her.

"He ran away and we're looking for him," Emily shrugged. She couldn't be any clearer. Then a thought occurred to her, "Wait, do you remember what he looks like?"

Of course he remembered. Her friend from the park had been the jerk who had so rudely separated them.

"Vaguely," he said, "Black hair, a little taller than me, rudely interrupts conversations?"

Emily chuckled slightly, "Yeah that was him," she sighed again and looked down at her shoes, "I'm really worried about him. Have you seen him around anywhere? Even just walking by."

Frankie shook his head and he saw Emily's face fall even more. He couldn't bear to see her hurting. He wanted to make it all better. So he said what he thought he could say to cheer her up.

"Look, I shouldn't be telling you this, but…"

"But?" Emily looked up, her interest at a high. "Frankie, what?"

"He made me promise I wouldn't tell you…"

"You saw him?" Emily shrieked, "What? Where? When? How?"

"I recognized him and wanted to ask him if he could tell you I was okay," Frankie knew he was an amazing liar. Growing up he had to be. He had lied to his teachers, his parents, babysitters, total strangers. It was a way of life for him; a way to get by. "I noticed he seemed kind of upset, I'm good at reading that kind of thing on people, and he told me. He's at my place for the night."

Emily threw her arms around Frankie, "You're a hero!"

Frankie's heart was pounding in his chest as he took it all in. The feel of Emily's arms around his neck, the smell of her shampoo in her hair (strawberries), the way she was bouncing slightly from excitement and thanking him over and over again. He couldn't get enough.

But it ended too early and Emily pulled away. He saw her reaching into her pocket for her phone (a strange looking one at that) and he put his hand on hers.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling my friends…"

He shook his head, "We have to go now," he grabbed her hand and pulled her up, "if you call the others and tell them where to go, they might get there before we do and he might run off."

As Frankie pulled Emily away, she dropped her Samuraizer. She tried stopping Frankie so she could pick it up, but he wouldn't let go of her arm and he kept pulling her further and further away.

"Mentor and Serena are going to kill me," she muttered and remembered when Antonio lost his Samuraizer. "I'm in so much trouble…"

-Samurai-

The sun was starting to set and Antonio could feel the cold was setting in. His shelter was good for protection against the wind, but it did nothing to keep him warm. He thought about starting a fire, but that would just alert people that he was around. The police could show up and kick him out, or Antonio could get a visit from some unfriendly people.

He decided against starting a fire and hugged his knees a little closer to his chest. He wrapped his scarf around his head to keep warm and let his thoughts stray to anywhere but this cold, isolated place.

He thought about the Shiba House and how the others were probably at home, warm, and enjoying an amazing dinner. If Mike had his way, they would be eating pizzas. Antonio could almost taste the pepperoni, the cheese, and the sauce on his tongue.

Perhaps they hadn't taken his note seriously. Perhaps they were giving him a little time to change his mind and come back. Was it possible they weren't even worried about him? After all, in the note he did tell them he was no good to them anymore, and if they believed him why would they waste their time looking for him.

He heard clanging from outside his shelter and poked his head out to see what it was. He saw a soda can rolling by, occasionally bouncing off the pavement and he picked it up and brought it back inside his shelter. Maybe he could use it for something.

"Like what?" he asked himself, "It's a freaking soda can."

He looked at the can and examined it. It was empty, out on the streets and slightly damaged. He had heard that during the Nighlok attacks, some people had been turned into soda cans. Was this maybe one of the cans that someone had been transformed into it? It was just a can now, but Antonio couldn't help but wonder.

"That Nighlok really screwed us up, huh?" Antonio said to the can and he set it down on the ground beside him. "I'll find something for you to do. Until then, you can stick around."


	37. Find Me

Even with all the sand, the beach was the perfect blend of both their elements. This was where the sea and sky met, and as the wind whipped her hair around, Mia felt at home.

She saw Kevin walking towards her, looking just as disappointed as she felt. While she felt like she was at home, there was someone who wasn't. Antonio was still missing and after hours of searching maybe it was finally time to call it quits for the night.

"He's not fishing anywhere," Kevin shook his head and sighed heavily. "I thought for sure he would be here."

"We've got to be missing something," Mia said, "We've checked all his favourite spots."

"Maybe those are too obvious. Antonio would know those would be the first places we looked. He left a note, so he left willingly. Why would he want to be found?"

Mia sighed sadly, "You have a point. Do you think Mike and Emily found something?"

"They would have called if they had. Maybe we should just head home."

Kevin started for home but Mia didn't follow. Her gaze strayed back to the shore and she wondered where Antonio could have possibly gone. Was he even in the city anymore? Was he okay? It was getting dark and cold; did he have somewhere to sleep? Was he safe?

Kevin turned around, saw Mia staring out at the shore and sighed. He walked back to her and wrapped his arms around her.

"He's tough," he said, "He'll be okay for one night. We'll find him tomorrow so don't worry."

"What if he's hurt?" Mia asked. "We can't just stop looking."

"He's not stupid, either. If he's hurt, he's got a cell phone. Even if he doesn't call us, he'll call someone."

"Why do you think he left? We've all had hard times. That Nighlok put us all through the ringer and, I mean, he was bad, but we've faced worse."

"Maybe he's finally snapped. Maybe he wasn't cut out for this."

"Kevin!"

"I'm not saying that to be mean," Kevin looked down at Mia, "We've all been bred for this. Antonio chose this. There's a difference. Maybe he's in over his head. I'm worried for him, but right now, that's the only explanation I have."

Mia sighed and nodded her head, "I guess all we can do is look for him tomorrow?"

Kevin took her hand and started to walk home with her, "He'll always be welcome home and we won't stop looking for him. If he wants to come back, he will."

-Samurai-

Jayden had cried it all out. He couldn't produce anymore tears. He felt so weak, so stupid, and so empty.

Serena hadn't said a word and at first he appreciated it. All she did was rub his back and support him. But now the empty silence was reaching his ears and he wanted her to do something that would break that silence.

As if she could read minds, she finally spoke, "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jayden shook his head, "There's nothing to say."

"There's plenty to say," Serena said. "When my mom ran away…"

"Serena, that's different."

"You love Antonio. I don't see a difference," Serena said and then smiled softly at Jayden, "When mom ran away, I had so many thoughts racing through my head; so many questions. I felt so overwhelmed and scared and…"

"She was your mom. They aren't supposed to run away."

"Neither are boyfriends," Serena said. She hugged Jayden, "It hurts a lot, doesn't it?"

Jayden nodded sadly, "Why couldn't he have just talked to me?"

"Many reasons," Serena shrugged, "Maybe none of them are good reasons, but I'm sure he has them."

"Do you think he tried to talk to anyone?"

"I don't know, Jay."

Jayden stood up, "Mike and Emily talk about being partners all the time. Kevin and Mia are partners… aren't we?"

"Yes."

"He should have talked to me. He could have at least told me in person that he was leaving."

"Maybe he's just a dick," Serena said and received a deadly look from Jayden. She looked back, "Maybe he's not doing this to hurt you. What did the note say?"

"I can't remember. And I tore it up. I didn't… I couldn't…"

Serena saw Jayden was about to break down again so she got up, pulled him back into her arms and held him. She had never seen Jayden hurting this badly. She thought he had reached his low after his break-up with Amanda but this was worse. She didn't know if she was happy he had found true love, or pissed because his true love had hurt him so badly. No one deserved this.

If Antonio did choose to come back, he would be welcomed, but he would have to be ready for the biggest ass-kicking of his life.

-Samurai-

Frankie barely got the door to his open before Emily invited herself. She called Antonio's name and raced in and out of the rooms. Frankie closed the door as he walked in and locked it.

"Antonio!"

He heard Emily's footsteps racing up the stairs. If he wanted to keep this lie up he had to let her search the house.

He walked into the kitchen. This was the first time he came into this room since he had come home from school. He saw the note his mother left for him.

"_Frankie, I've got some leftover pasta in the fridge for you for dinner. I'm working again tonight. Heat and eat."_

He was sure she wrote that last part to try and be clever but it didn't work that way, especially when she said it every time. He checked the time. Normally his father would be home by now.

_Normally, ha!_ he laughed to himself. His father hadn't been home at this time in years. If his father wasn't working overtime, he was out at the bar. His dad was never home until late. Most nights, his father came home after his mother. Both were usually in after midnight. His mother worked shifts at the hospital and his father... Frankie didn't really care for his father.

Suddenly he heard Emily racing down the stairs.

"Frankie, he's not here."

Frankie looked down at his mother's note, "Sorry, Emily. I think he bailed."

"What?"

"He left this," he flashed the note for a quick second, barely enough time for her to read. "He must have seen me bringing you home."

"Then he can't be far," Emily said and she turned to leave the house, "Thank you, Frankie, but I've got to…"

"No!" Frankie shouted. She was in his house, she was alone with him. He was so close to her he practically had her all to himself. He couldn't let her go now. Both times he had seen her it had been fate, luck! But if his luck ran out it could be days, weeks, or months before he saw her again.

And the thought of her leaving, the thought of her going back to her friends, calling them, calling her boyfriend sickened him. Where were they now? Why was she all alone? She shouldn't have been alone. They should have been waiting on her hand and foot.

Emily turned around at Frankie's shout, "What?"

"You can't leave," he said, "What if he comes back?"

"Why would he come back?" Emily asked.

"Maybe he just went out," Frankie suggested, "Maybe he didn't see you coming."

"What?" Emily walked back over to Frankie, "Well, what does the note say?"

"Nothing, you just… you can't leave," Frankie said. "You… you have to stay here."

"Frankie, Antonio's out there somewhere. I appreciate your help, but if he was here, even five minutes ago, then he's close enough to catch up to. I have to…"

"NO!" Frankie screamed and as Emily turned to leave he grabbed her arm and pulled her back in, "You're not leaving. You can't go back."

"Ow! Frankie, you're hurting me," Emily said and she tried to slip out of his hold but Frankie struggled desperately to keep her in his arms. Emily was the better fighter, but Frankie was unpredictable, bigger, and he had the element of surprise. He finally grabbed her around the waist and picked her up. Emily kicked her legs and tried to rip his arms away but Frankie held on tight. He wasn't losing her.

Emily kicked Frankie in the knee hard enough to make him fall and elbowed him in the face. She fell with him, naturally, but Frankie had already walked her close enough to the counter that when she fell, she smacked her head against it. She didn't lose consciousness, but she was quite dazed.

Frankie hadn't hit his head in the fall. His knee hurt and his face was sore, but he still had the advantage.

His father wasn't much of a handyman. To his father, duct tape fixed _EVERYTHING_. The kitchen sink had been leaky the other day and his father had fixed that with duct tape, and then left the roll lying around on the counter for someone else to clean up. No one had. Frankie never cleaned anything (proven by the mess in his room) and his mother usually got home from work so tired, she didn't care about a mess.

Frankie grabbed the duct tape. He knew how to keep Emily here. Emily heard the sound of the duct tape ripping at it was being pulled. Despite her confusion, and her spinning vision, she tried to get up to her feet to run. Her clumsy nature and her added dizziness made this task harder than it needed to be. Her head throbbed but she continued to run to the door. She tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Don't leave me!" Frankie screamed and Emily was suddenly pulled back roughly and thrown onto the floor. Frankie had lost it.

-Samurai-

Mike was looking everywhere. He was starting to feel like a creeper. It was getting dark and he was peeking through every shop and restaurant window hoping he could see Antonio.

Finally, he gave up. There was no use tiring himself out anymore. A Nighlok could attack at any minute and Mike needed his strength. He sat down at a bus bench and tried to call Emily's Samuraizer. She didn't have her cell phone with her, he knew. She had been getting strange text messages from some guy she didn't know and decided to turn her phone off until he got the message and left her alone. Because it was off, and staying off, she left it at home.

He heard the familiar chirp of the Samuraizer ringing, but that wasn't possible. He shouldn't have been able to hear her phone ringing unless she was nearby. He waited to see if she would try and surprise him, but the Samuraizer just continued to ring and ring. He could hear it, ringing and ringing.

A thought occurred to him and he decided to follow the noise and see if maybe Emily was playing a game with him, but the noise was coming from under the bench. He looked under. His heart froze. Her Samuraizer was there, but Emily was nowhere in sight. He knew, because once he collected it he looked around and around for her.

Antonio was gone and now Emily was gone. This wasn't good. This really wasn't good.

Mike was shaking from terror he could barely stuff her Samuraizer in his pocket and when he got up to run home he nearly stumbled and fell into the pavement several times.

"Please be a dumbass like Antonio," he muttered as he ran the entire way home. When he was close, he pushed Mia and Kevin right out of his path, raced through the gates, up into the house and into the common room. He tapped the table, bringing up the map, and he pressed as many buttons as he could, trying to see if the map had picked up any Nighlok activity over the last few hours.

When he saw nothing his heart fell, but he remembered the Gap Sensor wasn't as sensitive as it could have been because of Terran. Mike turned the sensitivity up as high as it would go and he saw absolutely nothing except Terran. The Gap Sensor blared loudly.

Kevin, Mia, Jayden, Serena, and Mentor ran into the common room, "A Nighlok? Now?"

Mike shook his head and pounded his fists into the table. Ji looked at the map.

"It's only Terran," he said, "There are no Nighlok."

"Antonio doesn't have his Samurai Morpher," Kevin reminded Mike, "You won't see him on the map."

Mike didn't say anything. To keep calm he couldn't jump to conclusions. Maybe Emily was still in the city, unaware her Samuraizer was missing.

"Please be a dumbass," he muttered and raced for the front door again, storming through the others who watched him leave curiously.

"Do you think he saw Antonio but he got away?" Mia suggested hopefully.

"That wouldn't explain why he's looking on the map," Kevin answered. "I doubt he found Antonio."

"Shouldn't Emily be with him?" Serena asked. She knew how the teams worked. Jayden had said it in the dojo only a couple of hours before. Mia and Kevin were a pair, Jayden used to be a pair with Antonio, and Mike and Emily were a pair.

"They probably split up to cover more ground," Mia said with a quick shrug, "Kevin and I did."

"But then why would Mike come home without her?" Serena asked. She clenched her fists, "He lost her, didn't he?"

Mentor looked at the map again and shook his head, "This says Emily's with him. They're headed into the city."

"Maybe they did find something," Kevin said. He looked to Mia, "C'mon."

Jayden didn't want to go. He wanted to stay home in case Antonio turned up to collect the rest of his stuff, the things he had left behind. If everyone left, the gold Ranger could sneak in and out.

-Samurai-

It was dark out for Antonio. The sun was long gone and the only light was coming from the street. Antonio could see enough to know he was alone.

He laid down on his side, curled up in his ball for warmth. He faced the soda can he had picked up. It was his only company on this night.

He didn't know how long it took him to fall asleep or how long he was asleep for, but he woke up suddenly, covered in sweat despite the cold that had taken over. He had another nightmare about being a fish, about being trapped, unable to move, call for help, or protect himself as a set of jaws, this time he hadn't see who they belonged to, came down to devour him.

His tears streaked his face. He couldn't remember ever feeling this scared, hurt, disappointed and utterly miserable. He wanted to be able to go home and be with his friends. He didn't want to be scared. He remembered his bed back at home and how warm and comfortable it was. He remembered how recently he and Jayden had started sharing the bed and Jayden's body made the bed even warmer.

He remembered waking up to hear someone laughing, especially recently when everyone was playing the silly game of whom can make Terran laugh the loudest. He remembered the little boy's giggles warmed him heart, and the sound of his friends laughing warmed the rest of his body.

But he didn't have that anymore. No friends, no baby, no laughs, no blankets, no bed, no home. He had nothing.

Though he didn't want to, he drifted off to sleep again. His nightmares continued to return for the rest of the night and he would never wake up until he was being eaten.


	38. Unexpected Help

The words couldn't come out of his mouth. Emily was missing.

Mia and Kevin thought they were still looking for Antonio and had split away from Mike to search for him. Mike didn't have the heart to tell them another teammate had gone missing, and even if he did, he couldn't believe it himself.

He searched the city until the sun came up and still searched after that. Breakfast diners were starting to open up and Mike's stomach was begging to go and eat but he wouldn't. He would only eat if Emily was sitting across from him in the booth, apologizing for losing her Samuraizer.

-Samurai-

Serena didn't want to leave, but she couldn't skip school because Antonio decided to walk out. She knew leaving Jayden with Mentor would mean leaving him in the most capable of hands. Mentor Ji was Jayden's father. If anyone could take care of the red Ranger, it was him. She was also leaving Mentor with Terran and hoping maybe her son could get Jayden to crack a smile.

The others had been out all night. Serena thought they were looking for Antonio. She had no idea her sister was missing as well.

She got to school and saw Frankie going through his locker. She took a deep breath when she saw had had hung up the pictures of her sister. Despite how she felt, maybe James was right. It was better if she just left him to stare at pictures. If she angered him and took the pictures away, he would just find a way to get more or worse.

She walked up to Frankie, "Hey, kid…"

Frankie quickly closed his locker, "The pictures are mine."

"Look, I get it," Serena leaned against the lockers, "I'm not _that_ old. I remember being your age. I remember having crushes on guys. I'm sorry for freaking out on you yesterday."

Frankie smiled slightly, "Thank you."

"But remember, taking pictures of strangers, it's creepy, especially when they have no idea."

"I was taking a picture in the park and she got in the shot," Frankie said. He shrugged his shoulders, "You know I like her, but you won't let me ask her out so this is the best I can do."

"She's got a boyfriend, Frankie."

Frankie scoffed, "Okay…"

Serena put her hand on his shoulder, "I'll let you keep the pictures but please be respectful, Frankie. That is, and forever will be my little sister."

Frankie nodded his head, "I'll be respectful."

-Samurai-

The temperature had risen with the sun. Antonio wasn't freezing cold anymore, but he was so exhausted. His sleep hadn't been a good one. He had woken up time and time again after having nightmares and they were all the same ones.

His stomach grumbled loudly. Antonio was starving but he had no money to buy food. He could fish, maybe make a rod out of the junk around him, but there was no way he was having anything to do with fish. If he could fish, he wouldn't have to fish to survive.

He sat in his shelter and hoped food would come by for him soon. The thought of leaving terrified him. At least if he were to stay in his shelter the others wouldn't see him, and his shelter looked like a pile of junk among the pile of junk. If he left he could run into his friends and they would surely drag him home.

Preferably not by the ear.

He looked to his soda can and sighed, "Do you have any food?"

The soda can didn't answer. It couldn't. It wasn't alive, and even if it was, even if it did have a spirit or a human still trapped inside, it still wouldn't be able to talk. Like Antonio inside the fish, it couldn't scream.

He kept the can close. Nothing would happen to it. The can was safe with him.

-Samurai-

Emily didn't know what was worse: the Nighlok or Frankie.

She had hit her head so hard on the counter she hadn't been able to defend herself properly and Frankie got her. He used the duct tape to tie her up tight and he carried her to his room. Emily was then placed on a chair, tied with more duct tape, and put into Frankie's closet. She struggled the entire time but it was no use. Somehow he had overpowered her. Somehow he was winning.

Frankie had a walk in closet, which meant the chair fit in nicely with plenty of room to spare. He had set her down right in the middle, and then closed the door. Emily wasn't sure if there was a lock on the door, but at this stage, the lock was moot. Emily couldn't move. She couldn't get out of the chair. The lock wasn't what was keeping her against her will.

Frankie had come in hours after leaving her in the closet and explained he had to go to school and he would be back for her. He had told her not to say a word. She couldn't if she wanted to. He had stuffed a rag in her mouth and placed duct tape over her mouth. She could scream, but it was muffled. No one would hear her.

Maybe he was mad at her for spraining his wrist. Maybe this had been his plan all along, and he had only been pretending to not being bothered by it. Emily had sprained her wrist enough times to know it hurt. But she hadn't done it to him on purpose. She hadn't even been the one to do it. Scruffy had tripped him. She had apologized and apologized.

Suddenly, she heard movement on the other side of the door.

"Franklin," the voice was slightly muffled by the door but she could understand it. It sounded like a woman, perhaps his mother's, "Why do you keep taking stuff from my bathroom?"

Emily didn't hear anything after that until a few minutes later when a door closed. Emily was sure his mother was gone. She waited hours for her to come back but she never did. Emily never even heard a sound from Frankie's father.

-Samurai-

Hunger overtook him and Antonio finally ventured out of his shelter for something to eat. If he begged at some restaurants, maybe they could spare him some free food; leftovers from the night before. He didn't care what, as long as it was edible and it wasn't fish.

He went to the nearest restaurant. Instantly the waitress took pity on him, and he knew why. After one night on the streets he looked like he had been out for days.

"Here," she led him to a table and sat him down, "I'll see if my boss can spare a little something. But water's free; I'll bring that right over."

She did and just the water made Antonio feel better. He hadn't just been hungry, but thirsty too.

The store manager did take pity on Antonio. The morning rush was over and Antonio was given some leftovers. They were a little cold, but Antonio didn't care. He dug right in.

"Poor kid," the manager shook his head as he watched Antonio eat, "No place to go?"

Antonio looked up, "No."

"Where's your next meal coming from?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulder. It was a good question and he didn't have an answer.

"Some dishes need to be washed," the manager pointed to the back, "If you wash them today, I'll give you lunch and dinner on the house."

Antonio thought about the offer and nodded his head. Working in the restaurant meant he was inside, and working in the back meant he was out of sight if his friends did stop by.

"I would really appreciate that."

"Finish up and wash up," the manager nodded, "We can't clean dishes with dirty hands."

-Samurai-

Mike could feel his anger rising. If he didn't figure out what happened to Emily soon he was going to lose it. All his therapy, everything he said to Emily about trying to control his anger would all be undone in a matter of minutes if he couldn't find her.

"Mike!" he heard someone call and turned around. Kevin and Mia had found him again. Now Mike was really angry. They were going to ask about Emily. He tried to walk away and pretend he hadn't seen them, but they caught up to him. Mia grabbed his arm but Mike pushed her back.

"Leave me alone!" he shouted. Kevin jumped in between Green and Pink.

"Mike, you're tired."

Mike was anything but tired. Maybe underneath all his anger and panic, but he didn't feel tired.

"Where's Emily?" Mia asked, "Isn't she with you?"

Mike's jaw quivered. He thought he would be angry but he was starting to cry like a baby. Tears clouded his vision as he reached into his pocket and pulled out her Samuraizer.

"Her s-signal's been with me," he admitted, choking on his words, "but s-she's been m-missing since last night."

All the colour drained form Mia's face. Kevin tensed up.

"Mike…"

"There have been no Nighlok," Mike said, "It's… it's not…"

"You lost her!" Mia screamed and lunged at Mike. Kevin had to hold her back, surprised Mia had lost to her anger before Mike. "You lost her _last night_ and only thought to tell us today!"

The tears spilled down Mike's cheeks. Now he was almost wishing Emily had been taken by a Nighlok. At least he knew what the Nighlok would have done to her. It wasn't pleasant to think of, but knowing was better than not knowing. Not knowing made Mike's imagination go wild. Everything bad that could happen crossed his mind and it terrified him.

Just when he thought he was going to be yelled at again, he was pulled into a hug. He looked up and was overtaken with shock. Kevin was hugging him. Kevin was comforting him.

"For now," Kevin said, "you just keep telling yourself Emily's a Samurai. She can take care of herself."

Kevin pulled away from Mike and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked over at Mia, "We need to go home and tell the others. We're two Rangers down and we have no reason why for either of them."

-Samurai-

At lunch, Serena sat at her usual table with James and some of the other teachers. Her social group had expanded now that the teachers respected her and she was actually starting to make some real friends.

But even with the funny, animated conversations, she couldn't help but look over at a table across the room. Frankie was sitting on the end, all by himself. The group of kids he was sharing a table with kept their distance from him and did nothing to include him.

"I have work to do," she said and got up from the table. James nodded. He understood that for Serena, the break periods were the times she had the most work to do.

Serena approached Frankie's table. Though he gave her the creeps because of the pictures, she couldn't help but feel bad for him. She saw a little bit of Emily in him when she saw him sitting all alone.

She sat next to him, "How's the food?"

"Better than mom's cooking," Frankie muttered. He didn't want to say too much to Serena. He wanted her to back off.

"Either your mom's food is worse than cafeteria food, or your dad made that meal."

"Dad doesn't do anything," Frankie shrugged his shoulder. "The cafeteria made this load of shit."

He pushed his plate away, "Excuse me. I've got no classes so I'm just going home."

"Frankie…" Serena turned around and watched him leave. She wanted to help but she didn't know where to start. He wasn't opening up.

She looked to the kids sitting at the table, "Do you guys know him?"

"Creeper," one of the girls chuckled, "He's got a crush on, like, every girl in this school."

"And that makes him a creeper?"

"Yeah," the girl nodded and her friends agreed. Serena sighed. Her work wasn't done.

"It takes a lot of courage for a guy to ask a girl out," she looked to the boys. They should know what she was trying to say, "Rejecting someone hurts."

"He's just creepy," another girl spoke up, "No one wants to even be near him."

"Have you ever tried being his friend?"

"What do you not get about creeper?" a third girl asked. "He's _the_ social pariah. If you associate yourself with him, you're committing social suicide. The bullies didn't even pick on him like the others because they were scared of him."

"The reason you didn't see him around is because he likes to hide," a boy spoke up. "He sits in corners on his laptop. He eats in the bathroom sometime. He's always in the back of the class and never raises his hand to answer questions. I think the teachers even forget he's there."

"I heard, he's failed every class because he doesn't even hand in assignments," another boy said, "He's like, secretly thirty-five years old and still in his senior year."

Serena rolled her eyes. She still had a lot of work to do.

"Social suicide only exists if you let what people think about you hurt you," Serena said as she got up, "Sticks and stones can hurt, words can really hurt. Someone's thoughts can't hurt you."

"People voice their thoughts."

"Ignore them," Serena said. "The only thing that matters is what you think of yourself. Do you want to be the kind of person who ignores people like Frankie, who might just need a friend to help him come out of his shell, or do you want to be the person who actually makes a difference?"

Serena started to walk back to the teacher's table, "Choice is yours, guys."


	39. The Circle of Kindness

Scrubbing dishes wasn't the worst job in the world, and it put food on Antonio's plate and gave him a place to stay during the day. He still had no idea what he was going to do once the restaurant closed. He doubted his coworkers would invite a man from the streets to their home for the night.

He got an hour break for lunch. His new boss thought he deserved it. He got a fresh meal to eat and this time it was warm.

One of the waitresses sat down to eat with him. She was on lunch as well and decided to get to know her new coworkers a little better.

"So, if you don't mind my asking, how did you end up on the streets in this part of town?" she asked. "Very few people come here. We're only still in business because when people do drive by, we're the only restaurant."

Antonio sighed, "I ran away. I don't want my friends to find me."

"Why run away?"

"I'm no good to them."

"Why's that?"

Antonio shrugged, "Something happened to me and… well, long story short, I'm scared of fish."

"So am I," the girl smiled, "They don't blink. How creepy is that?"

The girl touched Antonio's arm and gave him a warm look, "What does that have to do with you being no good to your friends? If they can't accept you for that, they weren't your friends to begin with."

"Yeah..."

"Do you have a place to stay tonight? If you can't afford food, I doubt you can afford a hotel."

Antonio shook his head, "I couldn't…"

"I insist," the girl said. "You seem like a nice enough guy. My uncle owns the motel across the street. I'm sure he could give you a room. Like I said, not many people come by here. He's usually never completely booked. It would be a shame to know you're out on the streets when there's a bed waiting for you."

Antonio smiled, "Thanks."

"I'll see what I can do," the waitress said and pulled out her phone.

-Samurai-

There was usually no excitement to going home. Frankie was alone at home just like at school. But today was different. Today his girlfriend was waiting for him.

He walked up the steps with a skip and unlocked the front door. He whistled as he walked into the house, closed the door and locked it. He dropped his bag on the floor, took off his jacket and walked to the kitchen.

He saw the usually dreaded note from his mother and pumped his fist in the air. She wouldn't be home tonight. He had the house to himself.

Normally he didn't eat right after school but he figured Emily was hungry so he made a plate for her. He warmed it up in the microwave and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. He carried up the meal to his room and opened up his closet. A bright smile appeared on his face when he saw she was right where he left her.

"Are you hungry?" he asked and he set the plate on her lap while he ripped off the tape over her mouth, "Sorry about this. My mom comes into my room sometimes. If she heard you, she'd force you to leave."

The tape stung as it was ripped off but Emily was thankful it was off. She spit out the rag and looked up at Frankie.

"I'm sorry I sprained your wrist but please let me go."

"Go where?" Frankie asked. "You're with me. Why would you want to be anywhere else?"

"I want to go home," Emily said, "My sister's probably worried sick and my boyfriend's…"

"I'm your boyfriend, Emily," Frankie said, "Don't worry about that jerk. He's gone now. I'll treat you right."

"Let me go, then."

"No," Frankie shook his head, "You belong here."

"Frankie, no, I…"

Frankie wouldn't hear it. He pressed his lips to hers. Unable to move, Emily could do nothing to stop him.

-Samurai-

Mike rocked back and forth on his stool, full of worry. If Xandred and the Nighlok didn't have Emily, where could she be?

"She wouldn't run off," Mia stated. "I hate to say it, but she must have gotten into trouble. Why else would she disappear and lose her Samuraizer?"

"She disappeared _because_ she lost her Samuraizer," Kevin said.

Mentor Ji shook his head, "Let's not panic too much. We are not yet certain that something did happen to Emily. All we know for a fact is that she is not with her Samuraizer."

Mia nodded, "Yeah, it could be like when Antonio was missing," she said it, then instantly regretted it. She could see the tears welling up in Jayden's eyes. "Sorry, Jay."

"Antonio left willingly," Kevin said and hated himself for it. It only made Jayden more upset, "Emily gave us no warning that she would take off. She's usually a lot more responsible than that."

"They're both gone," Jayden muttered, "Antonio won't be found because he left, and if the Nighlok don't have Emily she could be anywhere. Case closed."

"Jayden…"

The red Ranger shook his head, "No. I'm tired of this, Ji. We're wasting our time and energy searching for people who can't or won't ever be found. We're used to working in a team of six and now we're a team of four. Instead of searching we should be training to make up for their slack."

Mike rose to his feet in anger, "Are you kidding me?"

"Guys…" Mia called and Kevin got in between them before a fight started.

"Antonio _and_ Emily go missing in twenty-four hours and you're calling them slacks?" Mike asked.

Jayden nodded his head, "Yes."

"That's your boyfriend, you dick!" Mike shouted, "Your boyfriend's not the kind of person to just give up! Maybe there's something going on with him! Maybe the problem's you!"

"MIKE!" Mia snapped.

Mike ignored her. He threw his hands up in the air, "Whatever. You can run for shittiest boyfriend of the year. I'm sure you'll win it. I'm going to do what I promised I would do."

"She's dead weight, Mike," Jayden growled as Mike started to leave, "She's starting to be more trouble than she's worth. Just drop her now. It's what I'm doing with Antonio."

Mike turned around instantly and lunged at Jayden. Kevin, who was in the way, caught the green Ranger and wrestled him into the wall, held him back, and kept him from hurting Jayden.

"Calm down," he said to Mike and kept him pinned as Mike fought for freedom.

Mia got up from her stool. She had words to say to Mike but he wouldn't listen in this state. She turned to Jayden and gave him a look. Jayden caught it and knew he had done wrong. Mia walked up to him as he bowed his head. He was slapped across the face and then shoved into his stool, where he then tripped and fell onto the floor.

"I know you're hurting, Jayden," she said, "but Mike's right. You're a dick. Antonio's crying out for help and you're going to turn your back on him. Asshole."

Mia turned her back to Jayden and glared at Mike, "I know you're the bear, but I'm pretty sure poking an angry lion will still get you in a lot of trouble. Work together, you dumbasses, or we're never finding either of them."

With that, Mia stormed off to her room.

Mike wrestled Kevin, "Dude, let me go."

Kevin did as he was told but kept Mike in arms reach in case the green Ranger snapped again.

Mentor Ji nodded his head sadly and looked to the boys, "Unfortunately, Mia is right. You both have a reason to be upset but you are going to lose all your friends if you continue to act this way. To your rooms; both of you. Get some sleep. I will do what I can to find Antonio and Emily while you rest."

Mike and Jayden did as they were told, if anything, just to get out of each other's sight.

Mentor Ji looked over to Kevin and saw the blue Ranger looking back at him sadly.

"I really wish it was the Nighlok," Kevin said, "This may mean I've been a Samurai for too long, but they are much easier to handle than this real life bullshit."

"Any news on Antonio?" Serena called as she walked into the house. Ji and Kevin heard her dumping her bags and she made her way to the common room. She took Terran from Mentor's arms and smiled at her son. Then she looked back at the men for an answer to her question, "Guys?"

"No luck with Antonio," Kevin said, "But, um…"

"Serena, sit down," Mentor Ji pointed to the stool right behind Serena. Her stomach turned and she knew she was about to receive bad news.

-Samurai-

Frankie could hear Emily's screams as he searched the house for things he could bring her to make her stay a little more comfortable.

She was screaming for him to let her go. By now she had figured out that he loved her and she was insisting she didn't love him. She apologized for it, over and over again, but Frankie didn't want to hear it. Fate had brought her here. Fate and put them together. Whether she could understand it now or not, she was supposed to be with him.

His father may not have been a handyman, but he certainly thought he was. Frankie found a bunch of tools and even a few old padlocks his dad used to use to keep the shed in his backyard closed and locked. He could use that to keep Emily inside his closet. She was squirming so much that, while Frankie trusted the duct tape could hold her down, he wanted to make sure he could keep her. He couldn't imagine losing her.

He brought the tools and the lock up to his bedroom and installed it. Frankie was quite the handyman himself. When his father's "fix its" failed, Frankie always had to do proper repairs, and then covered his repairs back up in duct tape so his father wouldn't know.

He got the lock installed with no problem and then opened the door. He looked at Emily and then over to his bed. Suddenly he realised he had a problem.

"Stay here," he told her and walked to his bed. He pulled the blanket off and took his pillow and dragged them into the closet. He moved her chair and set up a bed for the two of them on the floor. Emily started to quake in fear.

"Please don't…"

"Relax. We're not at that stage yet," he told her and Emily breathed a sigh of relief. Finally Frankie had some common sense. Not enough, not anywhere near as much as Emily wanted, but he had some.

When the bed was made, Frankie stood in front of her chair, "Promise you won't try and run?"

Emily nodded her head. She would say anything and do nearly anything if it meant getting free. But Frankie saw right through her lie. She had already tried to get away once and she had been begging for him to let her go.

"You probably need to go to the bathroom," he said. That had been the very last thought on Emily's mind but she nodded her head again. Frankie looked around his closet and he saw a necktie. He grabbed it, put it over his shoulder and then pulled out a pair of scissors he had taken while downstairs. He cut one of Emily's arms free and tied her wrist with the neck tie. He did the same with the other arm and then tied her two wrists together. Emily didn't fight. Not while he had his scissors in his hands.

He cut her free from the chair and pulled her to her feet. She was a little bit wobbly so he held on to her and guided her to the bathroom.

"Sorry I didn't do this in the morning," he said, "Mom leaves for work after I leave for school. Like I said, if she saw you, she would force us apart."

Frankie opened the bathroom door and pushed Emily in. He closed the door behind her.

"Tell me when you're done."

He stood guard outside the bathroom door and waited.

Inside, Emily tried to work her wrists free. If she could get them free, she could get free.

"Dammit," she muttered as she worked and worked the knots but they wouldn't give, "Why are the crazy ones always so talented in the weirdest things?"

"Are you done in there?" he called and knocked on the door. Emily tried one final time and realized she was stuck.

"Dammit, dammit!" she could feel the tears starting to form. No one knew where she was. The only person she knew who knew Frankie was Antonio, and he had disappeared. The others wouldn't stop looking for her, but would they ever think she, the yellow Samurai Ranger, was the hostage of a teenage boy with a big crush and a crazy obsession?

-Samurai-

After a long silence, Serena finally spoke.

"No… no, no, no, no, no. A Nighlok, that's one thing… but just… just… just…"

For some reason, the news was not sinking in. Emily couldn't just disappear.

She shook her head, "No. You're wrong."

Kevin, who had to take Terran when Serena froze up, shook his head as he bounced the little boy, trying to keep him calm and happy, "When we were looking for Antonio we decided to split up."

Mike and Emily had split up, but Kevin and Mia had had the same idea, and the green Ranger had been taking enough of a beating from Serena lately. Kevin truly believed Mike wasn't at fault for this and didn't deserve to take the blame, so he shared it.

"Mike did what he was supposed to do. He checked in with Emily frequently to see if she had found Antonio, and to make sure she was okay. Something happened between check-ups and Emily…"

"You can tell me the story a thousand times, Kevin. You're still wrong! Girls don't just disappear! They… they…"

Serena lost her breath. She felt like she did when she was sick and she couldn't breathe. She knew she wasn't sick, though. She was terrified.

Kevin had been doing a good job at keeping Terran calm, but Serena's explosion set the young boy off and he started to cry.

"Kevin," was all Mentor said and Kevin nodded. He carried Terran out of the room to calm him down. Mentor moved over next to Serena and wrapped her in his arms.

"Your sister is one of the strongest Rangers I have ever seen or heard of," he told her. "She will be fine."

Serena had her hands on her chest and fought to breathe. No sign of Nighlok activity meant some dirty, rotten, son of a bitch had Emily. Some dirty, rotten, son of a bitch who was obviously strong enough to grab her.

A part of Serena hoped Emily was dead, because if she was alive and still in the hands of the dirty, rotten, son of a bitch, she was suffering, and suffering, sometimes, was worse than death. But Serena didn't want her little sister dead. She wanted her alive so there was still hope. She wanted her back home, safe and sound.

She wanted everyone home.

She wanted this to stop.

"Serena, relax," Mentor Ji told her in a calming voice, "You need to relax."

She didn't think she could.

-Samurai-

Antonio stood in his motel door. The owner had agreed to let him stay as long as there was no need for this room and Antonio took care of all the cleaning and maintenance himself. Antonio was just thankful for a room. He didn't care what state it was in, though this one was nice.

He looked to the waitress who had been so kind to him.

"I can't thank you enough…"

The waitress smiled, "Someone was nice to me, once," she said. "I didn't deserve it. You're the kind of guy who looks like he deserves it."

"Still, we're strangers…"

"You're not a stranger, you're my co-worker," the waitress giggled. "Look, kindness isn't just for friends. That's something I learned the hard way."

She glanced down the hall and then took Antonio's hand, "Come with me."

"Where?"

"Just come," she smiled and Antonio followed. He had no choice; she was still holding his hand.

"I moved in with my uncle to get away from my small town," she said to Antonio. "I didn't like it there and, well, my uncle owns a motel. He gave me a place to stay. For a motel, this place is pretty nice. Much nicer than the farm my parents own."

"Farm, huh?" Antonio asked with a slight smile on his face.

The waitress nodded, "Yeah. The farm wasn't for me, though. So I came here and… well."

She opened the door to her room. Antonio saw that it was a lot like his room. It wasn't a run down, cheap and dirty motel room. It was actually clean and comfortable.

But what really caught his eye was the crib in the room and a woman on the bed. When the door opened the woman turned and smiled.

"You're a little late."

"I know, sorry," the waitress reached into her bag and pulled out her wallet. She gave the woman some money, "I was helping out a friend but I can afford the overtime."

The woman took the cash and then shook her head. She gave a couple of bills back.

"Don't worry about it," she smiled, "she slept for the overtime so I was just watching TV. It's the same stuff I do at home."

The woman gave the waitress a kiss on the cheek, "I'll be here tomorrow, then?"

"Actually, it's my day off," the waitress said, "You can stay home too."

The woman nodded and then left. Antonio looked to the waitress.

"You have a baby?"

"My uncle wasn't thrilled. My parents weren't either. He told me he would give me this room for free, but I had to take care of everything else myself."

The waitress walked over to the crib. Antonio thought she would stare at her baby, like he often caught Serena doing, but she just ran her hand along the frame of the crib and looked to Antonio.

"This is the only gift I got. I was new in the city when I got knocked up and no one was there for me but my uncle. He gave me a room, that's it, but the room's no good unless I have somewhere safe for my daughter to sleep."

"That looks like a pretty expensive crib. You must have someone looking after you."

The waitress nodded her head, "You wouldn't believe it," she took a seat on the bed and invited Antonio to sit next to her, "Remember when I told you kindness isn't just for friends and I learned that the hard way?"

"Yeah."

"I used to be a bitch," the waitress said. "Like, stereotypical bitchy cheerleader, snobby rich girl type. I'm not proud of myself."

"Bitchy cheerleader? Does that mean…?"

"I was a bully, especially to this one girl. I hated her from the very start of school and made it very, very clear. As she put it, I made her life a living hell. I ran into her when I was pregnant. Her and her sister. Her sister hated me for being a bully but… her sister spent every last dime she had on this crib for me and refused to take the change, saying I needed it more than she did. Her sister could have turned her back on me. She could have called me out in front of the entire store for the bitch that I was… but she didn't."

"You bullied her sister and she bought your baby a crib?"

"Kindness," the waitress nodded her head, "She showed me kindness and this may sound cheesy, but she showed me love and friendship. She cared for her sister so much she was willing to sacrifice everything."

The baby in the crib started to cry. The waitress got up and lifted the little girl into her arms. Antonio could see this baby was older than Terran, but not by much.

The waitress sat back down and looked to Antonio, "Want to hold her?"

"I… sure," Antonio nodded and took the little girl into his arms, "What's her name?"

"She's got two names," the waitress said, "The girl I picked on and her sister changed my life so I named her Emily Serena, after them."

Antonio turned up to the waitress in shock. It had to be a coincidence.

The waitress smiled at him and then looked down at her daughter, "And I'm Abby."


	40. The Struggle

_Author's Note: WARNING: The following few chapters contains mature content. For readers who may not be comfortable reading please feel free to skip ahead to chapters 42-43 when the arc with Emily reaches it's conclusion._

* * *

><p>Antonio was awake in bed. After the nightmare that was last night's sleep, he thought he would doze off right away, but he couldn't sleep, and it wasn't the fish keeping him up, thought that may have had something to do with it.<p>

Abby. He remembered that name. He remembered who she was to Emily. He couldn't believe he had run into her. He couldn't believe she was being so nice. Fortunately she was, though. Fortunately, she had made that turn around. If she hadn't, Antonio wouldn't have found a place to stay for the night. He would be all alone, in the dark, probably still hungry, and without a real shelter to hide in.

He thought it was funny how his friends were still, somehow, looking out for him. Serena's kindness changed Abby into the person who would help a total stranger off the street. She didn't know it, but even now she was keeping him safe.

He rolled over in bed; he hoped the others were safe. He hoped they were okay. He didn't hear anything on the news about there being a Nighlok attack, but not everything could be covered.

He shook his head. Of course they were okay. They were the Samurai Rangers. Not even the Nighlok could hurt them. They had each other.

-Samurai-

Ji walked around the house. It was the middle of the night and he couldn't get any sleep. His house was falling to pieces.

Poor Jayden was upset. He had never had his heart broken like this before and he didn't know what to do about the pain. He had been hurt when he broke up with Amanda, when she was taken from him, but with Antonio it seemed he was falling to an all new low. Antonio wasn't just his boyfriend, Antonio was his best friend. Both of those, suddenly, had been ripped away from him, and Jayden was slowly returning to the man he had been before he let himself open up. Cold, distant, and very focuses on training and defeating the Nighlok at all costs. His friends were just teammates he needed for help, and if they couldn't live up to expectations, they weren't good enough to be on the team.

Mike and Serena were obviously very scared for Emily, and Mentor shared their concerns. If a Nighlok didn't have her, who did? What could have happened?

He shook his head. There was no sense worrying. They would find her. They would find her and Antonio.

Mia and Kevin needed to be the strong ones even though they were just as hurt and scared as the others. Antonio and Emily were their close friends, obviously they couldn't just forget about them. But they had each other to lean on and managed to stay on top of the team. Kevin had even taken up the lead.

And the blue and pink couple had also taken Terran for the night. Serena had been way too worked up to look after him and agreed it was best.

Mentor walked around the halls, checking the rooms, and with a heavy sigh he finally took a seat on the ground just outside Jayden and Antonio's room, where the gold Ranger's bed was empty.

What could he do?

-Samurai-

Emily wasn't getting any sleep.

Since Frankie had gotten her out of the chair, she'd been trying endlessly to escape and even managed once to slip out. Frankie wouldn't let her leave and he had grabbed her and aggressively pulled her back in, hurting her in the process and making escape even harder. Now, he didn't want her to leave while he was asleep and knew that was still a possibility. He thought about tying her to the chair again, but that would defeat the purpose of having a girlfriend.

Emily felt like a giant teddy bear. Frankie had rolled her up tight in his sleeping bag and had really sealed her in. She couldn't move her arms or her legs. Her arms were pinned to her side, taped even underneath the blanket to her body. Her legs were bound as well under the blanket. Frankie seemed scared, really scared, that she could escape and was taking every precaution to make sure she couldn't get away. All the tape that bound her under the blankets made it impossible to move, but the blanket was also very constricting. She could wriggle around, but it wouldn't get her anywhere, especially when Frankie was cuddling with her, with his arms wrapped around her so tight there was no way he was ever letting go.

She had heard his parents coming home hours ago and wanted to scream for help. There was no way his parents would let him keep her trapped in here. But she couldn't call for help. He had stuffed the rag back into her mouth and sealed her mouth up with duct tape. Emily had done what she could to try and peel it off, but it was stuck. She was stuck. Frankie was really, really good at this.

Dangerously good.

-Samurai-

Antonio was pulled from his sleep by a knock on his door. It occurred to him that maybe the Rangers had found him and he didn't want to answer it.

"Antonio? I've got you some breakfast," he recognised Abby's voice and got out of bed. He opened the door and saw her standing there with a bowl of cheerios and a bright smile.

"I thought you might want something to eat," she said and walked into his room. She set the bowl on the little desk the motel provided. In her own room, she used the motel as a dining table and thought Antonio could do the same.

Antonio hadn't thought to tell Abby he knew Emily and Serena. He didn't want to tell her, scared that link could somehow get him home. When she smiled brightly, he felt a little guilty for not opening up to her like she had with him.

"Thanks," he said.

"If you want, we can stop by at work," Abby said, "I've got the day off, but if you need some food, I'm sure my boss wouldn't mind having you back."

"Abby, I really appreciate this, but…"

"You need food," Abby insisted, "You can't buy groceries if you don't have any money, and I'm not going to let you steal food."

Antonio nodded his head, "You're right."

Abby smiled and took his hand, "Great! I'll just go pick up Emily and we'll be on our way. I'll sure you'll get another job today."

Antonio's stomach turned when she mentioned Emily then he remembered she meant her daughter, not his friend. He was still missing to them and that's how he wanted it to stay.

"Sounds good."

-Samurai-

Serena should have been walking the halls while the students got ready for class. She should have been looking out for any signs of bullying, especially now that she knew Frankie was still suffering, but she couldn't get her mind off Emily.

She didn't know how long she sat at her table in the cafeteria until the bell rang again and students started flooding in. She looked up and noticed it was lunch time.

James sat across from her at the table with his tray of food. He had briefly seen her in the morning, but she had arrived late again and he had a class to teach. This was the first time he was seeing her all day.

"Do I have some funny gym stories to tell you," he laughed but Serena wasn't laughing along or asking him to tell her one. She didn't react to him at all. James frowned and leaned forward. He waved his hand in front of her face. She was completely gone. He took her hand and squeezed it, "Serena, are you okay?"

Serena still didn't snap out of her trance. James switched over to her side of the table and he wrapped his arms around her, "What happened?"

"Antonio," Serena finally muttered and James had to lean in a little closer to hear her, "She was looking for Antonio."

"Who?"

"Emily," Serena pulled away and looked up at James, "She's gone."

"Where?"

Serena shrugged her shoulders, "Don't know."

"A monster?"

"I wish."

"Not a monster," James furrowed his brow, "Who could have… Emily's stronger than that. She's smarter than…"

He heard a sob from Serena and knew he had to shut up. He pulled her back in close and turned students away as they tried to come. Whatever they needed, they could get from someone else.

-Samurai-

Antonio was back cleaning dishes and he was doing so happily. The boss, his boss, had promised he could come back every day until other arrangements could be made. He wouldn't hire Antonio and would only pay him with meals, but he couldn't let a young man starve.

The dirty plates reminded him of the meals he used to eat at home with his friends and his thoughts went back to them. He wanted to stop thinking about them, but he couldn't. They meant so much to him, he couldn't leave them behind. He wasn't sure he ever could.

"Antonio, you can break for lunch," his boss called and Antonio felt his stomach rumble. It was about time.

-Samurai-

Emily had given up on even thinking about screaming for help. Frankie was home from school and he had told her his parents were out of the house. Even if she screamed, there would be no one who could hear her.

She was still wrapped up tight in his blanket so he had to feed her a meal, and he had decided to turn this into a date.

He fed her her last spoonful and then leaned back, "So, that ex-boyfriend of yours… why did you get involved with a jerk like him?"

"He's not my ex," Emily growled. She knew he was talking about Mike. He had convinced himself she had broken up with Mike to be with him but that wasn't true in the slightest. "He's my boyfriend and he's looking for me."

"Hopefully he doesn't find you," Frankie said, "You can't go back to him. You're too good for him."

"That's not true," Emily shook his head, "Frankie, please let me go."

"He's not around, Emily," Frankie said, "You don't have to pretend for him anymore."

"I'm not…"

"You know we're meant to be together. Fate made it that way. I saw you give that speech at my school and I knew there was something between us. Then you beat up Howie and I knew I had to find you."

"Wait, your school? I gave that speech at your school?"

Frankie nodded, "I tried to get us together the easy way. When Serena came back I asked her to set us up. She said no so I had to take matters into my own hands. I didn't think we'd get together so quickly."

"We're not together."

"Yes we are," Frankie insisted. "I went to the park. It was the first place I looked and I found you. We met there and then your friends, the guy who ran away, he took us from each other. When I found you on that bench, I knew I couldn't let you go."

Tears spilled down Emily's cheeks and she remembered why she was here, "Antonio… he was never here, was he?"

"Sorry I had to lie to you, babe," Frankie said and Emily flinched, "but it worked out. We're together. We're happy and nothing's going to tear us apart."

Frankie leaned in for a kiss but Emily turned her head away. She didn't want to play this game anymore. She didn't want to let him have his way. He grabbed her face and pressed his lips to hers, trying again. She bit his lip, hard. He pulled away.

"Ow!" he shoved her into the ground, "A little less bite, next time, babe. Like before."

"Stop touching me," Emily growled and gave Frankie a hard, angry stare. "You have no right to touch me."

"Your boyfriend can't touch you?" Frankie leaned in again. When his face was close enough to hers she threw her head forward, head butting his nose and Frankie recoiled in pain. "OW!"

"Let me go!" Emily screamed. She didn't care if no one could hear her. She was going to make some noise.

"Shut up," Frankie covered her mouth with his hand but Emily bit down again. He pulled away again, "OW! Stop it!"

"Let me go!"

"No!" Frankie argued, "You belong here!"

He grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap. Even bound she could still put up a fight. He grabbed a shirt from the floor of his closet. He balled it up and pressed it over her mouth so she couldn't bite him as he silenced her. He cradled her with one arm, while the other kept the shirt over her mouth. What he didn't realise was that the shirt was also covering her nose and Emily couldn't breathe at all. She struggled more and more to get free until she started to lose energy. Spots appeared in her vision and she calmed down. Frankie pulled the shirt away then covered her mouth with tape. He dumped her on the floor and got up.

"If you're going to be that way, fine," he said. He opened the door, "I'll come back when you're ready."

He shut the door and Emily heard the lock. She could breathe again, but only through her nose. She laid there, on the ground, trying to catch her breath. She would never try that one again.

Frankie walked out of his room and shook his head. He made his way downstairs, grabbed his keys and his jacket and stormed out of the house.

He walked down the street and away from the city. He needed to go somewhere where he could get away from people.

-Samurai-

Antonio finished up his dinner and his shift and was on his way back to the motel. He was thankful for the temporary job and home, but if he was going to stay on his own, he was going to have to figure out something a little more permanent. He was going to have to get a real job and a real place to stay.

But for now he was comfortable where he was.

He walked through the motel parking lot. There weren't many cars which was bad for business but good for Antonio. As long as other rooms were vacant, Antonio had a place to sleep.

He pulled out the keys to his room when he saw a teenage kid sitting on the curb crying. After the kindness Abby showed him, Antonio couldn't pass up the opportunity to spread it around.

He sat next to the teenager, "You a guest here?"

The kid shook his head, "I live a couple of streets down. I come here to be alone."

"Good place to be alone," Antonio nodded and looked around. This was the loneliest part of the city. "Look on the bright side. At least you're not here on vacation. That would be really shitty."

Antonio turned to the boy and got a good look at him. He was vaguely familiar.

The boy looked at him and then laughed. Antonio smiled back.

"What?"

"You're the guy from the park."

Now Antonio knew who this was. This was the guy Emily had been trying to help after Scruffy knocked him over.

"Oh, now I remember you. Yeah, sorry about that. I was kind of going through something. I needed my friend. How's your wrist?"

Frankie looked down at his wrist, having forgotten all about it, "It's fine."

Antonio got another look at him, "Hey, what happened to your nose?"

Frankie wiped his nose with his sleeve, "Just a little trouble. My girlfriend's being a bitch."

"Just agree with everything she says," Antonio chuckled, "It worked for my friends all the time."

"What if she's wrong?"

"You don't tell her that," Antonio said. "You never tell her that."

Antonio pointed to Frankie's nose, "So, I'm hoping that was an accident."

"Me too," Frankie muttered. Antonio frowned.

"She may have done it on purpose?"

"We were fighting. It's fine."

"It's not fine," Antonio shook his head, "She shouldn't be hitting you. Any person who hits their partner doesn't deserve their partner."

Frankie looked up at Antonio, "_She_ doesn't deserve _me_?"

"Not if she's going to hurt you," Antonio said. "Have a little respect for yourself."

Frankie nodded his head, "Thanks," he got up and started running off back home. Antonio smiled to himself, got up and walked back into his motel room.


	41. Frankie's Lies

Frankie thought Antonio was right. He had saved Emily from her ex-boyfriend. He had brought them both together. If Emily couldn't see that she owed him, maybe she didn't deserve him.

But Frankie loved her. He was willing to give her a second chance. When he got home he told her he would give her some time to think about what she really wanted. He locked her in and slept in his bed alone.

When he woke up the next morning he was excited to realise it was Friday. If he could get past Serena today, he had the entire weekend where he wouldn't have to worry about her figuring him out, though he knew he was too smart to be found out. He'd gotten past her many times already, and even slipped by Antonio. His confidence was as high as it would go.

The night before, when he had his "date" with Emily, he had taken pictures and printed them off. He already had pictures of her from the park, but he wanted pictures of her as his girlfriend. He brought one to school with him. It was a picture of them kissing.

He got to his locker and looked around as he opened the lock and started unpacking his backpack. Suddenly he felt a hand on his back. He jumped, startled, and turned around. It was Serena.

"I want to talk to you," she said.

Frankie nodded his head nervously and looked down at his bag, where the picture of Emily was hiding between two of his books. If he planned it right, he could transfer it into his locket without Serena knowing. It was like a game, and he loved challenging games.

Serena looked to Frankie. After her break down the day before, she decided to come to school and use that as a distraction. The others were doing what they could to find Emily and Antonio, and Serena would go home and help out when class was done.

During school hours, though, her students needed her. Emily wouldn't want Serena to let them suffer, especially a kid like Frankie. Frankie's situation reminded Serena a lot of Emily's. No one wanted to be his friend. No one even wanted to be near him, and anytime they got close, it was just to tease and mock him.

"Serena!"

Frankie and Serena turned around and saw Mike walking down the hallway. Serena looked to him curiously while Frankie glanced at his bag, where the picture was hiding. This challenge was becoming a little too difficult now.

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked. Frankie picked up his entire bag.

"I can't think," Mike said. "Mia suggested I stop by here to clear my head."

"Why here?"

"You'll make sure I don't lose it," Mike shrugged.

Frankie's bag was too big to slip into his locker so he had to stuff it in. He struggled a bit and suddenly, the sprain in his wrist started up. He had bent his wrist a little too much while trying to push the bag. He lost his grip and his bag slipped out of his hands. He had forgotten to zip it shut, so everything inside fell out. Students in the halls started to laugh but none of them decided to help.

"Any luck with Antonio, yet?" Serena asked as she knelt down. She would help Frankie and she hoped maybe a few students would follow her lead.

Mike shook his head and knelt down to help as well.

Frankie frantically tried to collect his things. He hadn't seen where the picture had gone. If Serena or Mike saw it the game was all over.

Mike collected a few of Frankie's pencils and held them out for Frankie to take. The younger boy snatched the pencils from Mike's hands, giving Mike a glimpse at his face. Something about Frankie struck Mike as familiar. A bad feeling bubbled in his stomach.

"Frankie," Serena called his name, grabbing his attention. She had his books in her hand, "Here."

The name, Mike thought, the name rang a bell. Where had he heard that name before? Where had he seen that face before?

Frankie snatched the books from Serena's hands. Those were the books that had hidden the picture. He moved quickly to get them into his locker and threw them in. They fell out. Frankie cursed his luck.

"Frankie!" Mike said as he finally remembered where he had seen his face and heard his name. This was future Frankie. The Frankie who tried to have his way with Emily. Mike clenched his fists. So far, he couldn't be sure Frankie had done anything. Emily was missing and it was rather suspicious, but Frankie was still just a kid. There was no way…

Suddenly, Mike heard a loud bang as someone was smashed into the locker right next to him. He looked over and saw it was Frankie. Serena had him pinned and a look of anger, like Mike had never seen before (and he had really pissed her off before) was on her face.

"Serena!" he shouted as Serena slammed Frankie into the lockers again. By now, all the students in the hallway were watching. The person in the school who had been so against violence and bullying was now slamming a student into the lockers.

"You son of a bitch!" she screamed and Mike had to grab her. He tried to rip her off but Serena pushed him away. She pressed Frankie into the locker with one hand and held up the picture with another hand.

"Tell me that's not recent," Serena shouted. She was ready for murder.

"Photoshop," Frankie cried, "It's just Photoshop…"

"My ass!" Serena shouted back and slammed Frankie into the lockers again.

Teachers were drawn in. They could hear the lockers slamming and the kids gathering. There was a fight going on.

"Serena," James was first to break into the circle and he put his hands on Serena's shoulders. "Let him go."

"No," Serena growled. "He…"

"It doesn't matter. Let him go," James said.

"Let him go, Serena," Mike growled. Serena turned to him. She saw the look in his eyes and pulled away from Frankie. James dragged her away and Mike swooped in. He grabbed Frankie, took him to the ground and threw angry punches, smashing his fists into Frankie's face. More teachers gathered around and pulled Mike off. It took five of them to wrestle Mike away from Frankie.

"I didn't do anything," Frankie said as he was lifted to his feet by two other teachers.

"You kidnapped my sister!" Serena screamed and the halls fell silent.

-Samurai-

Kevin looked at Mia as she came out of the bakery. They had started to ask around town if anyone had seen Emily or Antonio, but so far, nothing. No one had seen anything.

"Should we take a break?" Kevin asked. "We're no good to anyone tired."

"Let's go find Mike," Mia said, "He's had some time to relax."

"Relax?" Kevin shook his head. Mia's choice of words was terrible. Kevin couldn't relax; there was no way he expected Mike to relax.

Mia rolled her eyes and started for the school. They weren't too far off.

As they approached the school they walked by a pair of girls who were whispering. Kevin, though, picked up on a few key words. He turned to them.

"What was that?" he asked.

The girls gave him a dirty look, "None of your business."

"You said something about a fight."

Mia looked up at Kevin, worried. Maybe sending an emotional Mike to an emotional Serena was a bad idea.

"Yeah," the girl nodded, "A teacher started a fight with a kid."

Kevin looked over to Mia. She was sharing his concerns. It didn't take much to get Serena riled up.

The girls rolled their eyes and continued on their way. The fight didn't interest them.

Kevin and Mia hurried into the school. If Serena was the teacher they were talking about, they were going to have to jump in.

Once inside, it was easy to figure out where the fight was happening. Kevin and Mia turned the corner and their fears were confirmed. Not only was Serena the teacher, but Mike was involved as well.

Kevin pulled on Mia's arm, "We've got to get them out of there," he said and led her to an empty classroom. He checked for cameras but saw they were safe.

"Go, go, Samurai!"

-Samurai-

Frankie denying the accusations made Serena angry, and Mike was furious. He knew what this kid was capable of. The teachers tried to keep him away from Frankie, but he finally got through. Just as he was about to grab Frankie by the throat, someone pulled him back and threw him into the ground. Mike looked up. He was a little dazed but he could make out the blue Ranger.

"You're kidding me," Serena rolled her eyes. Mia placed herself close to Serena, just in case she tried something.

The students were in awe. They pulled out their cell phones and started taking pictures.

Kevin glared down at Mike, "You look a little old to still be in high school, and you're too young to be a teacher."

"Whatever," Mike rolled his eyes and got up. He tried to get past Kevin. The blue Ranger held out his arm and grabbed Mike.

Everyone was in shock. The Power Rangers, in their school.

Kevin grabbed Mike by the arm, "I'll take care of him. Anyone else involved in the fight? It takes at least two people."

James pointed to Serena. He hated calling her out, but he knew the Rangers were her friends, her family. They were probably here to take her away before she got into real trouble.

He also pointed to Frankie. Mia grabbed the boy and Serena and followed Kevin.

"Wait!" the principal called. James put his hand on the man's shoulder.

"Power Rangers," he whispered. "I'm sure they know what they're doing."

"But they can't just…"

"Uh, hello, do you see the cops fighting the monsters?" James said. He had to calm everyone down. He had to keep the police out of this, even if it meant keeping them off Frankie's case. "I think the Rangers trump the cops. Besides, they'll do the right thing. They're Power Rangers! Samurai Power Rangers. Honour, remember?"

The principal nodded his head. Now he was really confused. So was the rest of the school.

"Uh… everyone to class..."

James breathed a huge sigh of relief. He was going to have to do a lot of damage control for this one.

-Samurai-

Frankie was led out to the field. If he couldn't convince Serena, Mike, and the Power Rangers that he was innocent, he was in big trouble.

The blue Ranger let go of Mike and looked in his direction. Frankie couldn't see their faces through the helmet, but he was sure Mike was in trouble too.

"You, shut up," the blue Ranger told Mike.

Kevin then turned to Serena. There had to be a good reason for her fighting. Before he could say anything, though, Frankie interrupted.

"Why are you guys here?" he asked. "How did you know there was a fight?"

"They're drawn to monsters," Mike growled and shot daggers at Frankie. Kevin him another look.

"Shut up."

"He kidnapped Emily!" Mike reached into his pocket and pulled out the picture. He had kept it. It was all the evidence he had. All the evidence he needed. He showed the picture to Kevin and Mia.

The two Rangers had never been happier for the helmets. While their body language read calm and controlled, they were freaking out on the inside. They knew what Serena and Mike already knew. This was recent.

But they couldn't let Frankie know. Kevin held up the picture to Frankie.

"Is this you in the picture?"

Frankie nodded his head, "I photoshopped it."

"That's my sister," Serena growled.

Frankie sighed, "I have a crush on her sister and I just…"

"This doesn't look photoshopped," Mia said, "it looks real."

"I didn't kidnap her. I had no idea she was missing."

"Liar," Serena said. Mia grabbed her arm.

"Let him talk."

"I have nothing to say," Frankie shook his head, "I shouldn't have even brought this picture to school!" suddenly he had an idea, "Besides, if I did kidnap her, why would I bring a picture of her to school? That's just… stupid."

"Maybe you didn't think you would be caught," Mike growled.

"Her sister's my teacher!" Frankie pointed to Serena. "How could I even kidnap her? I live with my parents! I can't bring a girl home without them knowing."

"Maybe you didn't bring her home," Serena said.

Frankie looked back and forth between Serena and Mike, and then to the Rangers. He didn't know what to do, so he finally decided to pretend to give up.

"Alright, fine. I didn't kidnap her, but I know where she is," he said. "She doesn't want me telling you guys, though."

"Bullshit," Mike snapped. Kevin grabbed him and turned to Frankie.

"Where is she?"

"I gave her some money for a motel room," he knew the motel near his house was usually vacant. He could take them there and pretend like Emily had fled, just like he had done to Emily with Antonio.

"Show us," Mia said.

Frankie nodded and led the way. Though he couldn't see their eyes, he knew the Rangers were staring at him, watching him like a hawk. Every time he turned a corner, he could hear them, and Serena and Mike, speeding up the pace a little so they wouldn't lose him.

Finally, he got to the motel and walked right up to one of the doors. He signalled for the others to be quiet.

"She might not come if she hears you," he said.

"I'll break the fucking door down if she doesn't answer," Mike said and Kevin pulled him back.

"Calm down."

"Dude…"

"Calm down."

Frankie knocked on the door and waited a couple of minutes.

"Tell her it's you," Mia said. "If you are helping her, she should answer the door for you."

"It's me, Frankie," he called and to his surprise he heard movement in the room, "Uh, I just want to talk."

The door opened, "Stop banging on my door, I don't know a… park kid?"

"Antonio?" Serena and Mike asked, seeing the gold Ranger standing in the doorway.

Antonio saw the kid from the park was with Mike, Serena, and Kevin and Mia, who were morphed as Rangers. He didn't know how they had found him, but they had.


	42. The Chase

Frankie had to come up with a lie and he had to come up with one fast. When he brought the Rangers, Serena, and Mike here he had been sure to knock on a room that was empty. Most of the rooms in this motel were usually empty and the odds were with him. But suddenly, everything was starting to spiral down. It was as if fate didn't want him to hold onto Emily anymore. The picture, the Rangers showing up, the room being occupied…

But fate could play its game. These people could search forever. He wasn't letting go of Emily.

All eyes turned to him and he shrugged his shoulders, "Wrong door."

Antonio looked down at his feet, "How did you guys find me?" he asked.

"By accident," Serena muttered, "But you're lucky we did. Where the hell have you been?"

"Here," Antonio gestured to the motel, "Here and around, and it's where I'm staying. I'm not coming back."

With the others so distracted, Frankie saw this as the perfect time to slip away unnoticed. He tried to go, but very swiftly a hand reached out and grabbed him, pulling him back.

"OW! OW! OW!" Frankie cried as Mike's grip nearly crushed his arm. It was, for sure, going to leave a bruise in the form of Mike's hand.

"You led us to Antonio, but you're not off the hook yet," he growled.

Antonio looked around at the others, "If you guys found me by accident… why are you here?"

"This jackass kidnapped Emily," Serena pointed to Frankie while she glared at Antonio, "and he got her because she was out looking for you."

"What?"

"I didn't kidnap anyone!" Frankie cried, "I saw Emily and offered her a place to stay here. She must have left!"

"Stop lying to me," Mike growled and yanked Frankie's arm, "Next time you do, I'll make sure this arm comes right out of its socket."

Kevin and Mia exchanged looks through their helmets. They wanted to jump in, knowing that if they threatened Frankie he would probably listen, but they couldn't. They couldn't show their concern for Emily aside from concern for the safety of a civilian. Despite what he wanted to do to Frankie himself, Kevin needed to remove Mike's hand before he did any more damage.

"Innocent until proven guilty," Kevin reminded Mike, "Regardless of what you think he's done, torturing him won't bring out the truth and it won't get you any closer to finding your friend."

Mia nodded and looked to Frankie, "Alright, kid, if this isn't where you left Emily, where did you take her?"

"Down here," Frankie said. He rubbed his arm as he tried to go to another door. He knocked and knocked but there was no answer.

Serena peeked inside the window to see if she could see anything or anyone inside. Antonio joined the others and shook his head.

"I've only been here a couple of days, but no one's been in there," he said. "If the kid is telling the truth, Emily would have left this place before I got here."

Mike turned to Frankie. He wanted to take the kid's head and smash it into the pavement until he was dead but he couldn't do that. Only Frankie knew where Emily was and if he was dead, he couldn't give that information.

"Where is she?"

Frankie shook his head, "I don't know. I don't know, I don't…"

Mike pulled out the picture again, "You do know."

"No I don't!" Frankie screamed and turned to run, slipping past each of the Rangers.

-Samurai-

Jayden paced the house. He couldn't go with the others to find Antonio and Emily. He was so scared, so filled with worry, all he could do was pace back and forth and wait for things to play out.

He felt like a coward. He was the fearless red Ranger. He was supposed to be the leader. He was supposed to keep the team together, especially in times like this. But he was falling apart and he was letting everyone down.

Antonio walking away hurt him a lot. Even with everything he had in the Shiba House, he didn't have much. Not like what the others had. These walls were his home but they were also his prison, keeping him here, and keeping him from a normal life until his duty was done. All he was, was a duty.

His friends had made him feel like more than that. They had given him his real life. Antonio especially. The gold Ranger leaving, and leaving without a word except for the note addressed to everyone, had hurt him deeply. Jayden had everything he ever wanted with Antonio, and suddenly that was ripped away. Everything he knew and loved had been ripped away.

"Jayden," he heard Mentor whispered softly behind him and he turned around. Mentor took him in his arms.

-Samurai-

Frankie bolted, running like his life depended on it. While the Rangers, Serena, Mike and Antonio were on his trail he knew he couldn't head straight home, so he tried to lose them.

He wasn't fast. Several times the others caught up to him. But he was slippery. The Rangers couldn't even hold him down.

His lungs were burning as he tried to keep breathing. He didn't know why they were after him. Why couldn't they see he loved Emily? They had to let it go.

He raced to one of the busier parts of town and jumped into the street. He didn't care for traffic; he was a dead man if he stopped running anyways. The others had it in their heads that he was the bad guy, but they weren't the ones covered in bruises.

"HELP!" he screamed, drawing as much attention as he could, "HELP! SOMEONE HELP!"

He continued to run but glanced over his shoulder. He had lost them.

-Samurai-

The Samurai knew they could outrun Frankie, but when he started calling for help they all had to back off. Mia and Kevin didn't want to be seen chasing a beat up kid around town because they knew what it would look like, and if Serena, Mike, or Antonio were caught by the police, they would be in a lot of trouble. Frankie was only beat up because of them.

But they weren't going to let Frankie get away.

"Screw the cops," Mike muttered and he raced out onto the street, jumping in the middle of traffic. Horns were blaring and cars were skidding to a stop, but he didn't care.

Frankie had disappeared into an alleyway and so did Mike. When he was covered by the alley he pulled out his own Samuraizer. If this kid wanted a challenge, Mike was going to give him a challenge.

"Go, go Samurai!"

-Samurai-

Frankie safely got to his home. He couldn't be sure he had lost the Rangers, Serena, Mike, and Antonio, but they were out of sight.

Not knowing how much time he had, or how safe he was, he raced up the stairs to his room, unlocked his closet door and looked down at Emily. She was still lying on the floor, wrapped up in his blanket, exactly how he had left her.

"Your stupid ex is trying to kill me," Frankie said and he caught the glimmer of hope in Emily's eyes. He shook his head, "It's not a good thing! If they find us, they're going to tear us apart."

Frankie pulled a suitcase off from a shelf in his closet and he started to stuff it with clothes.

"It's only a matter of time before they get here," he told her, "We have to go."

He put the strap of the bag on his shoulder and leaned down to pick up Emily. He couldn't leave without her. Emily squirmed and squirmed. She couldn't stop him but she could slow him down. If Mike really was coming for her, she wanted to give him as much time as she could.

"Stop it!" Frankie screamed at her, "This isn't a game, Emily! I'm serious!"

Emily continued to squirm and moved as much as she could, despite being tied and wrapped in a blanket. Frankie finally had enough. He dropped his bag and grabbed her by the side, lifting her up into a seated position.

"Stop it!" he screamed. Emily swung her head forward, trying to head butt but Frankie was too far. He put her over his shoulder and picked up his bag. "You're lucky I put up with you."

He walked down the stairs to his garage. His parents had an old car that they left in the garage and it wasn't supposed to be driven. Frankie didn't even really know how to drive a car. His parents had been too busy to teach him when he had turned sixteen.

He laid Emily across the back seat and strapped her in with the belts. She was cushioned enough with the blankets, he thought, but he didn't want her squirming around anymore.

"We'll be gone before they can every find us," he told her as if it would relieve her and he kissed her forehead before slamming the door closed and hopping into the driver's seat. He started the car and opened the garage door. He backed out as quickly as he could into the driveway and then onto the street. He didn't even bother to look where he was going. Before he could put the car into drive, he felt something crashing right into the back of his car.

-Samurai-

Antonio had been trying to stay in hiding from his friends, but now he couldn't abandon them again. They wouldn't be kidding about Emily being kidnapped.

While Mike had gone off on his own, he stuck with Serena, Mia, and Kevin and the cut through back streets, trying to avoid being seen while also trying to find Frankie again.

"He's just a fucking kid," Serena muttered, "How dangerous could he be?"

She should have trusted her first instincts when it came to Frankie. The minute he insisted she set something up with Emily after she had made it clear Emily wasn't available, she should have done something. Now this kid, who everyone thought was creepy but harmless, was anything but. He was still creepy, but there was no telling how much harm he could cause.

Suddenly her Samuraizer went off, as did Mia's and Kevin's. She kept running but answered it.

"What?"

"Oak Road," Mike's voice said. "He lives on Oak Road."

"Mike," Kevin had answered his Samuraizer as well, "Don't you dare do…"

"He kidnapped Emily," Mike answered and quickly hung up.

"I know a short cut," Antonio said and made a sharp turn around a corner, "It's two minutes from here."

-Samurai-

Mike raced down the street, scooping up the bear Zord as he raced by. He had seen a car speeding out of a garage dangerously fast and had to believe it was Frankie. He had sent the bear Zord out to stop the car and the Zord, with all his strength, rammed into the trunk with enough force to stop the car. Mike didn't know what made the bear Zord do this, but the little creature's senses were sharper than Mike's. If Mike had to guess, he would say the Bear knew where Emily was.

Frankie got out of the car and was instantly taken to the ground by a green blur. When he looked up, the green blur turned into a green Ranger.

"Where the hell is she?"

Frankie couldn't remember a single time the Rangers had been called for a missing person, so why were they after him? Wasn't there a monster attacking somewhere? Why couldn't a monster turn up right now so they could leave him and Emily alone?

"Get off me!" he screamed and struggled. He knew Emily was silenced by the tape, but she could still make some muffled sounds. The more noise he made, the less likely it was someone could hear Emily. Maybe he could still get away. His attempts were desperate, but they were still attempts. There was never success unless there was an attempt.

"It's over Frankie," the green Ranger said, "Where is she? You're running from something."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Frankie screamed.

"Get off," the blue Ranger suddenly appeared and pulled the green one off Frankie, which the young man was thankful for. He tried to get up and run but when he turned around he saw the pink Ranger, standing with her arms crossed. He took a step to the side and she didn't even flinch. As soon as he started to run she went after him and tackled him onto the grass.

"Give it up," Mia said as she pinned Frankie down. There was no more escaping for him.

"I'll check the house," Kevin said to Mia as he raced inside. Mike quickly noticed this was exactly like the future. Mia with Frankie pinned in the ground, and Kevin racing into the house. He had a bad feeling and remember how this all ended in the future. He didn't like it.

Mike didn't even notice the people on the street had gathered until he heard a collective gasp and he looked around to see what brought it up. He saw Serena and Antonio were carefully pulling Emily out from the back seat of the car Frankie had tried to get away with.

Now he wished he hadn't morphed. He wanted to take Emily in his arms and protect her, but he couldn't show any emotion for her. No one could know there was a tie between the Rangers and Emily. It would bring up too many questions.

So he kept his distance and watched as Serena carefully peeled the tape off Emily's mouth and wrapped her up in her arms, for now, keeping her safe. Mike did, however, manage to lock eyes with her. He wished she could see his face through the mask, but at the same time he didn't want her to see him cry.


	43. The Empty Home

Though he promised himself he wouldn't worry, and he promised he would stay strong, Mentor Ji was starting to bite his lip. Jayden had fallen asleep on the couch, having cried himself into such a state, and Terran was back down for bed, leaving Ji all alone in the house and waiting for news on his Samurai. It was getting to be late, very late, and he hadn't heard anything from any of them in hours.

Suddenly the front door opened up and Ji rushed to see who had come home. It was only Mike, Mia, and Kevin but he was happy to see them.

"Where is Serena?" he asked.

"We found Antonio and Emily," Mia answered, "and we got the guy who took Emily."

"Would you believe it took three Rangers to take down a seventeen year old kid?" Kevin said with a shake of his head. Mentor Ji frowned.

"You morphed?"

"Mia and I had to, to break up the fight Serena and Mike started at the school," Kevin nodded. "We knew it could have gotten pretty messy. Better to get the Rangers involved then our real selves, right?"

"Besides, it kept Mike and Serena calm," Mia added. "If they confronted us, screamed at us, and used our names, people would start to wonder."

"Whatever," Mike rolled his eyes, "The only reason that kid isn't dead is because we needed him to lead us to Emily."

"Mike morphed to track him down," Mia explained to Ji. "When we found Emily, the kid who took her was trying to get away in his car. The whole neighbourhood saw what happened. We had to get out of there when the cops showed up. Serena, Antonio, and Emily had to stay."

Mentor nodded and he looked to Mike. He could see the green Ranger wasn't happy about leaving. None of the Rangers seemed happy.

"I have a few calls to make," he said.

Mike leaned against the wall and sunk to the floor. Mia and Kevin watched him do this and looked to him curiously.

"Mike…"

"I'm not moving," he said, "Not until she gets home."

Kevin and Mia understood. Kevin gestured for Mia to go into the common room, where he could see Jayden was sleeping on the couch. They had found Antonio and was sure Jayden would want to hear that news.

Kevin sat down next to Mike, "Mind if I wait with you?"

"Go for it," Mike shrugged.

Kevin leaned to the side slightly and reached into his back pocket, "Frankie had quite a few pictures in his room and I'm sure the cops are going to take those from him," he said and pulled out a camera, "I took this."

"You took…"

Kevin put the camera in Mike's hands, "I'm sure Frankie's in enough trouble as it is, and I thought you would want to destroy all this yourself."

Mike turned on the camera and started to look at the pictures saved inside.

"Mike…"

"I have to know what he did," Mike said. Kevin saw the tears falling down his cheeks as he checked picture after picture. Suddenly, Mike launched the camera against the wall so hard it broke. Kevin had seen that one coming.

Mike leaned his head back against the wall and didn't say another word. Kevin stayed with him.

In the common room, the smashing of the camera against the wall woke Jayden up and he opened his eyes to see Mia pushing a stool over beside the couch. When she sat down, he sat up and rubbed his eyes. He felt like hell and he knew he must have looked like hell, but he didn't care.

"What?"

"We found Antonio."

Jayden seemed shocked for a moment and then he got up. He started to walk out of the room. Mia got up and grabbed his arm.

"Jay…"

"Tell him to stay where he is."

"Jayden…"

"He left, Mia. He chose to leave. I don't want him back."

"He promised to come back and talk with us," Mia said. "You can tell him how you feel then."

"I don't want to see him."

"Then you can't talk to him."

Jayden glared at Mia. She glared back. Jayden sighed; Mia always had a way of winning these fights.

"Wake me up if he decides to come home," he huffed and walked to his room.

-Samurai-

Hours later, Serena, Emily, and Antonio were sitting on the curb. Mentor Ji had called them to let them know he would be picking them up and he would deal with whatever the police wanted from them. He promised he could take care of it. Serena wondered how but she knew not to doubt Mentor.

Suddenly, they saw him pulling up in Jayden's car. He walked out and walked right by them into the police station. Antonio, Serena, and Emily didn't know how long he would be in there for.

Finally, Antonio sighed and turned to the sisters, "I'm really sorry…"

"I'm not talking to you," Serena said. "Just shut up until we get home."

"Serena…"

"Shut up!" Serena shouted and Emily put her hands over her ears. She was sitting right between Serena and Antonio and didn't want to hear them fighting. She just wanted to go home and have everyone home.

"Sorry, Emily," Serena whispered and hugged her sister.

Ji walked out of the police station, "You're all clear."

"That was fast," Serena looked up. Ji shrugged his shoulders.

"You didn't think I would become mentor and not learn the importance of making friends."

"How do you make friends if you never leave the house?" Antonio asked and Serena and Emily agreed. It was odd.

Mentor Ji chuckled, "I did have a life before you Rangers."

"Mind sharing it one day?"

"Perhaps," Ji nodded and he opened up the back door to his car, "But I think maybe you would all prefer to get home."

Serena and Emily climbed in but Antonio hesitated for a minute. Going home wouldn't fix his problems. Then he looked in the car. He saw Mentor's hopeful looks, Serena's angry stares, and Emily looking at her feet, waiting for whatever would happen to happen. Running away wouldn't fix his problems either, and it seemed to hurt his friends. So he got into the car and strapped himself in. Suddenly, Emily threw her arms around him. Antonio was shocked but he gratefully accepted the hug.

And then, he didn't know why, but he started to cry.

-Samurai-

The only thing Kevin could do was keep Mike on a happy thought while they waited for the rest of the team to come home. If not, Kevin knew Mike would spiral into a state of worry and he would make himself sick waiting for Emily to come home.

"If I weren't a Samurai," he said, "Right now, I would be training for London."

They were playing a game of what ifs, stating a bunch of things they would do if they were or weren't something. Now Kevin had started to talk about what he would be doing if he weren't a Samurai.

"I bet you would bring home gold," Mike said. "You're the fastest swimmer I know. The only swimmer, but the fastest."

Kevin nodded his head and smiled, "Thanks, Mike."

"Sorry you have to miss that."

"It's not your fault," Kevin shrugged. "You've given up just as much as I have."

"Still, the Olympics? That's, like, a once in a lifetime thing."

"So is being a Ranger."

"But everyone knows when you win a medal."

Kevin shrugged his shoulders again. He did wish he got the chance to compete in London, but he had learned to accept the path he was on. With Mia, he had come up with a bunch of good things that had come to him that he never would have known about if he had gone to London. Over time, he realized those things were more valuable than a gold medal.

"For like, a year," Kevin shrugged, "I'd like to think I'd make history, break a record, but how long does that really last?"

"It's awesome."

"I'd rather be here," Kevin said and he nudged Mike slightly, "sitting in front of the door with you, waiting for the others to come home. My fiancée's in the other room and I know my family's safe and sound."

"Yeah, now."

"I wouldn't have any of that if I hadn't come here," Kevin smiled and then he looked at Mike, "What about you? Where would you be if you weren't a Samurai?"

"The arcade," Mike laughed, "with my friends Matthew and Reese. I'd be king there, by now. I'd have a gold medal."

"In being a total dork," Kevin shook his head, "At least my medal would be awesome."

"Hey, video gaming is hard work. Swimming is just splashing around in the water. Terran does that at bath time."

"He'll be an awesome swimmer," Kevin smiled. "Maybe he can go to the Olympics in 2032. Win gold there?"

"Olympics? Pff," Mike shook his head, "That's awesome for you, dude, but Terran's not going to be some fish. By 2032, he'll have beaten all my high scores and he'll be the king of the virtual world."

"And a forty year old virgin in 2052."

"I can tell you one thing he won't be doing," Mia said as she walked into the front hallway, baby monitor in hand, "Sleeping in 2012 if you two don't quiet down."

"Sorry," Mike said and turned to the door, "Shouldn't they be home by now?"

As if on cue, the door opened up. Mike was instantly on his feet and the second he saw Emily he pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight. She hugged him back, holding on just as tightly.

"Sorry we're late," Ji said as he walked in, carrying a tray of ice cream sundaes for everyone. "We couldn't let the day end on a bad note."

He passed the tray around for the Rangers to help themselves.

Mike pulled away from Emily only slightly to kiss her but Emily turned her head and he kissed her cheek. He frowned and she looked up at him guiltily.

"Can we talk later?"

"Em, if it's about…"

"Later," Emily said and her eyes looked over the room, "Please?"

Mike nodded his head and settled for just another hug.

Finally, last but certainly not least, Antonio and Serena walked in. The hallway silent as Antonio stepped in. No one really knew what to do until Mia gave in. She smiled and hugged Antonio.

"Welcome back."

Antonio nodded and then gestured to the common room, "Can we have a meeting?"

"I'll go wake up Jayden," Kevin said and walked to Jayden's room while everyone else gathered in the common room.

There was a silence as the Samurai took their seat. Antonio knew it was up to him to get a conversation started, but he couldn't utter a sound.

"Why did you go?" Emily asked, helping him out a little bit. Antonio didn't want to answer the question but he knew he had to.

"I'm really sorry. I can't be a Ranger anymore," he looked down at his hands as he played with them nervously, "After that last Nighlok… I'm just… I'm not me anymore."

"So why leave?" Mia asked, "Why didn't you come talk to us first?"

Antonio shrugged his shoulders, "You guys know I was trapped inside that fish… well, I haven't quite bounced back from that yet."

"That means?"

"I'm scared of fish," Antonio winced and waited for the laughs, the teasing, and the screams of disappointment but they never came. He opened his eyes and looked to his friends.

Emily smiled softly, "I told you they wouldn't laugh."

"Why run away?" Mia asked, "Antonio, that's no reason to run away."

"My weapon's the Barracuda Blade," Antonio shrugged, "I pilot the Clawzord and command Octozord."

"I was turned into a fan," Mia said. "Antonio, it's different…"

"Not for me," Antonio shook his head, "Look, guys, I'm really sorry. I can't be the gold Ranger anymore."

"Good," Jayden said as he walked into the room, followed closely by Kevin, "We don't want you."

"Jay…"

"It's my turn to talk, Mia," Jayden silenced her and gave Antonio a sharp glare, "You walked off in the middle of the night and leave nothing but a note. You make us look around the entire city to find you, putting us all at risk. Because we went out looking for you, we lost Emily. What if a Nighlok had attacked then and there? We'd be down two Rangers and too tired to fight because we were looking for you."

"I never asked you to look for me."

"You think we wouldn't start searching for you? You think we wouldn't lose our minds worrying about you?"

"Jay…"

"Shut up, Antonio. You left the team and you left me. It's a choice you made and you're going to have to live with it. Pack up your things and…"

"He can stay," Kevin said, "Antonio, you've always got a room here."

"This is my house…"

"It's the home of the Samurai," Kevin shook his head, "Antonio is a Samurai."

Jayden huffed. He gave Antonio a look, "Fine, but we're not sharing a room anymore. I don't care where you sleep, as long as I can see you or hear you."

"Okay," Antonio nodded.

Jayden gave Antonio another look before he stormed off. Slowly but surely, everyone else started to leave as well until it was just Antonio, Mike, and Emily.

Mike and Emily got up, but Mike was the only one who walked to the door. Emily stayed. She gave Mike a look and gestured to the bedroom.

"I'll be there in a minute."

Mike nodded. He figured Emily would have some things to say to Antonio. It was technically Antonio's fault Emily had been through what she had been through. If he hadn't of run away, she never would have run into Frankie and he couldn't have taken her.

When they were alone, Antonio sighed, "You're probably pissed…"

Emily shook her head and tears welled up in her eyes. She tried to hold them back.

"I just want to be home," she said.

"You're home, Em," Antonio motioned around the room, "Safe and sound…"

"Does it feel like home?"

Antonio started to nod and then shook his head. This house was in no way a home. Jayden wasn't himself anymore, clearly. It wasn't normal for Kevin to have to take command. It wasn't normal for everyone to be mad at Antonio or to be walking on eggshells about, well, just about everything.

"I'm so sorry, Em. I just… I had to get away. I couldn't…"

"I told you to talk to them," Emily said, "I told you to come to me when you were ready. I promised to help you and I warned you this could get bad. At least I had no idea I was drowning until I was safe."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Maybe not," Emily shook her head, "but I warned you. You don't have the 'I didn't mean for this to happen' excuse."

"You're right."

"I'm glad you're home Antonio, because at least now you might be able to fix this, but you're stupid. Unless you're telling me you're back and everything is normal… don't talk to me again, okay?"

Antonio nodded his head. Emily sighed. She turned to leave but then turned back and gave Antonio a big hug before she rushed away, back to Mike to explain everything. She figured he probably wanted some answers.

The former gold Ranger and former fisherman just looked down at his hands and sighed loudly. He had screwed up big time and Emily was right, he had no excuse. He should have known nothing good would have come out of this. He just never thought he would hurt them this badly.

He pulled three stools together and laid across them. He was sleeping here for the night. It was better than on the streets, but a part of him missed the motel room, where he was alone and didn't have to face the disappointment of the others.

Suddenly, he heard the familiar sound of claws on hardwood and he sat up. Scruffy.

The dog didn't scare him as much as fish, but if Antonio could keep his distance, he would. But he froze in fear as Scruffy walked into the common room, carrying something in his mouth. Antonio quickly figured out he was bringing in a blanket.

Scruffy dropped the blanket on Antonio's lap and looked up at him.

"Did I steal your stool?" Antonio asked. Sometimes, Scruffy liked to sleep on Emily's stool instead of his dog bed.

Scruffy lay down on the floor and lowered his head to sleep. Antonio spread out the blanket, covering himself and looked over the side of his stool. Scruffy wouldn't bother him, and he certainly wouldn't eat him. He was a friendly dog; one of the best Antonio had ever met.

He reached his arm out and scratched Scruffy behind the ears, "You're still my friend, right? You're friends with everyone."


	44. The Kiss

While Emily stayed back with Antonio, Mike got ready for bed. After the day he had had, he just wanted to close his eyes and put it all behind him. If possible, he wanted to forget all about it. He wanted to forget Antonio's disappearance, Emily's disappearance, Frankie, and all those pictures.

He fell back into his bed and closed his eyes for a minute while he waited for Emily, but an image of a picture, more specifically, the one of Frankie and Emily kissing, appeared on the back of his eyelids and Mike had to open his eyes. Mentor Ji had promised he had taken care of everything, but unless Frankie was locked up or dead, Mike wouldn't be happy. But he didn't want to find out. He didn't want to know what would happen to Frankie. Reality sucked. Reality meant there was a chance for escape for Frankie. There was a chance things could go his way. This time, and only this time, Mike preferred his imagination.

"What are you looking at?"

Mike shook his head as Emily walked in. He put the picture away; sure she wouldn't want to see it.

"Nothing, Em. You okay?"

"Yeah," Emily nodded and she walked to the dresser. She wanted to wear new clothes. She had been wearing her current ones for the last three days and they made her feel disgusting. She also wanted a shower. She grabbed her new clothes and walked to the bathroom, "I'm just going to…"

"I thought you wanted to talk?"

Emily nodded, "After," she disappeared into the bathroom and Mike heard the shower starting up.

She would be another little while, so Mike got up from the bed. He looked at the picture again. He wanted to destroy it; tear it to pieces and ask Jayden to light up each piece one at a time; but something stopped him from doing it. He folded it back up and stuck it in his pocket. He didn't know why he was keeping it. He hated it.

He paced back and forth in the room. Emily wanted to talk to him about something. If it was about the kiss, or kisses, Mike assumed, he knew about them and Emily didn't have to worry, but then a thought came up. In the future, Frankie wanted more. Mike wondered if that was something that wouldn't change.

This was a thought he had to get out of his head fast; the thought of Frankie taking advantage sickened him. And if he did, if Mike ever found out there was more than a kiss, there would be nothing and no one on Earth who could save Frankie from him.

Mike was starting to panic himself, and he hoped it was for no reason. Maybe it wasn't that bad. Maybe Emily was just upset by all the little things and there was nothing big to worry about. He tried to stay on those thoughts as he walked up to the bathroom door. It had been fifteen minutes. Surely the water should have been turned off by now.

He knocked, "Emily?"

No answer. Mike gulped but told himself she probably didn't hear him. He tried again with a knock, this time a little louder, "Emily!"

He wouldn't try a third time. With still no answer Mike hurried right in and to his relief he found Emily just sitting on the floor right outside the shower. Her hair was soaking wet and her clothes had been changed, so he assumed she got through her shower, but the water was still running. He let out a big sigh when he saw Emily safe and sound and went to shut off the water.

"You scared me, Em."

"Sorry," Emily whispered, "I had to get dressed…"

Mike picked up her towel from the floor and he started to squeeze some of the water from her hair for her. He couldn't imagine she was comfortable letting the water, now cold, drip down her back to wet the back of her shirt.

"Are you okay?" he asked as he finished and wrapped the towel over her shoulders, pulling her hair out over it so the towel, not her shirt, would catch the remaining drops. He took a seat beside her, "Em?"

Emily held out her arms. Mike looked down and saw some scratches and bruising. He smiled. Emily would always put up a fight.

"Those will heal."

Emily shook her head and pulled up the bottom of her pants, showing Mike more scratches and bruises.

"There's some everywhere," she whispered.

"It means you fought, Em."

"And he won."

"No," Mike shook his head, "You won."

"He got me."

"Emily, you had no idea. He got you by surprise."

"He shouldn't have won."

Mike sighed and got to his feet. He held his hand out and Emily took it. He pulled her up and walked her out of the bathroom. Still somewhat wet, and without the humidity from the shower keeping her warm, Emily felt a shiver as she walked back into the bedroom. She felt the goose bumps by the time she got to the bed.

Mike handed her his sweater he had dropped on the floor the day before. Emily slipped it on. It was much too big for her, it was even a little big on Mike, but she liked it. It kept her warm and it covered up her arms.

Mike sat down in the bed and leaned back. He pulled Emily into his arms and cuddled her close.

"What happened, Em?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. She nestled deeper into Mike's arms. He kissed the top of her head.

"Do you want to talk?"

"Promise you won't get mad?"

"Of course," he nodded and looked down at Emily, "Emily, I'm not mad at you."

"I kissed him."

Mike gulped and he could feel the picture was still in his pocket. The picture of the kiss. He pulled it out and unfolded it, showing her. Emily winced, remembering the exact moment that it was taken.

"I know, Em."

She shook her head, "I kissed him.

"I know, Em, and it's not your fault. He…"

"_I_._ Kissed. Him._"

"_You_ kissed him?" Mike asked and took a deep breath. No jumping to conclusion; Dr. Fletcher had taught him that. "What happened?"

"He kissed me," Emily said. "He kissed me and he wouldn't stop. I couldn't stop him. I was either in the chair or rolled up, like you saw."

"Why did you kiss him, Emily?"

"He wouldn't stop. He said we were boyfriend and girlfriend. He said I didn't have to worry about you finding out because you weren't there. He knew I wasn't kissing back and I didn't think he would stop until I did, so I kissed him," Emily paused she lowered her head, "like I would kiss you."

"To get him to stop?"

Emily nodded, "It only happened that one time," she pointed to the picture. "After that, he started to… well… down."

"What?"

Emily sat up and told Mike to lie perfectly still. He did and she sat on his legs.

"We were on a date," she said, "he said if we could go to a restaurant, we wouldn't get our food right away and we would have to do something while we waited. He decided, because we were in a private room, we could…"

Emily was silent for a moment. Mike propped himself up on his elbows but Emily pushed him back down on his back.

"I was wrapped in the blanket," she said, "I couldn't move and he was on top of me, like this. He kissed me and that's when he told me to kiss him back and I did. He took the picture and then he kissed my neck and shoulder so I didn't have to kiss back, but…"

"Did it mean anything?"

"For him…"

"For you, Em," Mike sat up, "Did it mean anything for you?"

"I wanted to get out. I wanted him to stop."

Mike put held her face gently in his hands, "I know."

"I can still taste it," Emily whispered. "It's still there and… I've never kissed anyone but you until this."

Mike smiled, "Then I'm your first," he leaned in and gently kissed her lips, "and last. Middle doesn't count. From now on, I will always be the first and the last person you ever kissed."

"You're not mad?"

"At Frankie. You did what you had to do. I'm proud of you, Em. Not mad."

"I head butt him for it later," Emily said. "He tried again and I bit his lip and head butt him in the nose."

Mike chuckled. He pulled Emily into his arms, "That's what happened to his face. What's with you and noses, Em?"

"Fun to smash?" Emily shrugged her shoulders.

Mike smiled and leaned back into his bed with Emily resting with him. He held her tight in his arms and just lay in bed with her as time went by. Eventually, he cracked another smile, "Emily."

He got no response and looked down. She was fast asleep with a smile on her face. She was still wrapped tightly in his arms and warm in his big sweater. He chuckled softly and kissed her forehead before he reached down for the blankets. He could just barely reach them with Emily sleeping on one of his arms and he didn't want to move too much, scared to wake her up.

He managed to get the blankets up thought and covered himself and Emily. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

When he opened his eyes again, sunlight was pouring into the room and he could hear laughter. He opened his eyes and saw Terran had suddenly appeared between him and Emily, and Emily was playing with the little boy, making him giggle.

"Sorry," she whispered when she saw she woke Mike up, "I couldn't help it. I missed him."

Mike stared at Terran and then sat up. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"Alright, for starters, babies aren't made like that. They don't just appear. Second, it doesn't happen overnight."

Emily looked up at him and rolled his eyes, laughing a little, "Serena stopped by this morning with Terran. She asked me how I was doing."

"How long have you been awake?"

"About an hour. You're a heavy sleeper."

"You just found that out?"

Emily laughed again, "I found out to what extent. Serena's making us both breakfast and then she and I want to go out."

"Out?"

"Outside," Emily pointed to the front yard, "She wants to know what happened."

"You haven't told her, yet?"

Emily shook her head, "She and I haven't really been alone yet and it's not something I want to announce to the world."

"Point taken," Mike nodded and he snatched Terran up from the bed. He and Emily walked to the kitchen just as Serena was finishing up breakfast. Mike took his plate off the counter and look to the girls, "I'll keep an eye on Terran. It's a nice day, you two should eat outside."

Emily smiled, aware of what he was doing and thankful for it. She took her plate and walked with Serena outside to the picnic table while Mike kept his eye on Terran.

He was halfway through his breakfast when he heard some noise in the front hallway. He jumped up and raced over to see who it was. Mia and Kevin were ready for training and seemed to want to do so outside. Mike ran to the front door before they could open it.

"The dojo's a great place to train," he told them. Kevin and Mia both gave him a funny look.

"It's beautiful outside," Kevin said, "A little fresh air is good."

"Not when there's smog."

"Smog?" Mia laughed, "Mike, we're away from the city, remember?"

Mike looked over his shoulder at the door, sure Serena and Emily still wanted a little privacy. He let out a sigh and nodded his head towards one of the windows. Kevin and Mia were curious and decided to follow Mike to the window. They looked out and saw Serena and Emily were talking over breakfast. Emily seemed to be picking at her meal, barely able to eat it while she talked and Serena had a look or horror and anger on her face.

"We'll train in the dojo," Kevin said and Mia nodded. Mike thanked them as they walked off. Then he looked out the window again. Emily had her back to him but Serena had seen him. They locked eyes for a moment.

"Hug her," Mike said and he hoped Serena could read his lips from this distance. She nodded her head and got up. She walked around the table and sat next to her sister. She pulled Emily into her arms and her little sister broke down.

Terran suddenly cooed, reminding Mike he was still there. Mike moved Terran away from the window.

"C'mon, little guy. If you're going to be ready for the video gaming Olympics, I should start training you now."


	45. With a Little Help From Friends

Antonio knew he was to blame. There was no one but him who could take responsibility for what happened to turn the Shiba House upside down.

It had been a couple of days since he and Emily had come home. Everyone was winding down and tying up some loose ends to hopefully bring an end to all the chaos Antonio had caused by running away.

Mentor Ji said he had handled the problem Serena, Emily, and Antonio were facing in the police department. Ji didn't want any of his Samurai suffering from Frankie's behaviour, but he wasn't letting Frankie go unpunished. Ji had gone into town several times already and finally returned with some news. Frankie would be in a youth detention center, serving the time he deserved, and getting the help he needed. No one in the Shiba House thought he deserved any help or sympathy, but the city thought it best.

Ji had no idea what would happen to his parents though. When it had been discovered that Frankie's parents spent most of the day out of the house and that they had been completely unaware of their son's actions, despite the fact that Frankie had held Emily against her will inside their house for three days, people started to ask questions. Ji decided to leave that case and the rest of what needed to be handled to his friends. All he wanted was to make sure there was no more danger to his Samurai and Frankie was being taken care of.

Antonio was happy for that. At least it was the end of the stalker nonsense that had sent everyone into a big panic, but that didn't mark the end for Antonio. That was simply the end of the page for him. Antonio had quite a bit of apologizing to do to each and every one of his friends. He had gotten Mia and Kevin out of the way already. He apologized for running off and acknowledged how stupid it was. He apologized for scaring them and for all the trouble he put them through. Mia and Kevin seemed accepting, but they told him the apologies were still far from over.

And boy, were they right. The rest of the house was PISSED!

Emily didn't want to talk to him. Understandably, after everything she had been through, she just wanted peace. She knew it was because Antonio ran away that she had been so easy for Frankie to snatch. She never would have been out in the city by herself if she hadn't of been looking for him, and Frankie never could have taken her if she had been with at least one other person. Emily wouldn't talk to Antonio until he fixed everything, but at least she could stay calm when she was near him.

Mentor was the same. There was a look of disappointment on his face, and he rarely made time for Antonio anymore, but he could stay calm when Antonio was around. He managed to keep himself under control. Antonio appreciated it quite a bit.

Mike would have to turn around and walked away whenever he saw Antonio because if he didn't, all his therapy would have been for nothing, and the Rangers, really and truly, would be down one.

Serena was just as pissed and didn't have any therapy to hold her back. Antonio had to actively steer clear from her if he planned on making it through the day. He went out of his way to avoid her, even switching up his routine to do so. Antonio was starting to wonder if many Serena could benefit from going back to Dr. Fletcher. He would never tell her that, though. He liked having his head on his shoulders.

But the person who was hurting the most, and the person who was the angriest of the bunch, was Jayden. The red Ranger had never said it officially, but Antonio was sure the relationship was over and not just the romantic boyfriend/boyfriend relationship. The entire friendship; everything since the day they met was slowly being erased by the bad memories. Antonio hadn't wanted this and he knew he had to fix it, if not for himself, then for everyone he had hurt.

For Jayden.

He stared at the plate of fish sitting before him on the counter. Kevin and Mia were watching, waiting to see what Antonio would do. They had grilled the fish for him and were hoping he could eat it. The first step to fixing things was Antonio getting over his fear of fish and putting himself back on the team. The Rangers needed him. They needed someone to watch their backs. They weren't the traditional team of five, anymore. They were six and they needed six.

He reached out to grab the fish and then pulled his hand away and shook his head, "I'm sorry… I just… I can't…"

-Samurai-

When James got to school that morning, the parking lot was flooded with police cars and he hurried inside to see what had happened. Nothing good would come from seeing the police at the school.

The school was as deserted as he had ever seen it. There was not a single student or staff member in sight. What had he missed? Where the hell was everyone? Why were there cops? Where were they?

He heard footsteps echoing from down the halls and turned to see who was coming. He saw Serena and hoped she had answers to his questions. He was about to ask when she held up a hand and silenced him.

"We found Emily Friday night," she said. She would have gotten back to him sooner, but she had been so busy taking care of her sister she hadn't found the time. She had even missed a few days of school to be with Emily but today she was finally back, and it seemed to James that she had brought back up.

"Is she okay?"

Serena nodded her head, "Shaken up, but she'll bounce back. She always finds a way to bounce back. The others are amazing with her too, so that'll help."

"And Frankie…?" last James had seen, Frankie had been accused of kidnapping Emily, but there had been very little proof aside from a picture. Really, it had been his word against Serena's, and the school had no idea what to believe. James had gotten the teachers to leave the Rangers to deal with Frankie and that had been the end of that. He heard a few rumours from students, but nothing he could trust as true.

"Mentor got him locked up in a youth detention center," Serena said. "He did kidnap Emily. He tied her up and hid her away in his closet. His parents had no idea because they were never home and when they were, even Emily admits, they didn't seem to care much. They just went straight to bed, then up in the morning for work."

"That's rough," James frowned, "It almost makes you feel bad for the kid."

"Bad?" Serena shook her head, "No way. After what he's done to my sister…"

"His parents obviously pay no attention to him," James said, "and you know what, now that I think about it, it's really no surprise. I've never seen them at the school."

"He's obsessed with my sister…"

"Something about him drew you in," James reminded Serena, "before you knew what he did…"

Serena growled, "That little bastard…"

"What?"

"The days I helped him… that entire time I tried to reach out to him, when I talked to the students about their behaviour towards him… Emily was in his closet."

"Serena…"

"That dirty, little…"

"Serena, he's a kid," James grabbed her shoulders, "Something's obviously wrong with him and he's, unfortunately, one of the ones that fell through the cracks. He's one of the ones that you couldn't save in time because he had no one helping him."

"Because he's a little creep!"

"He got no love at home, he was exiled at school… it's no wonder he finally snapped. All someone had to do was give him the time of day and…"

"He kidnaps them?" Serena shook her head again, "No. He fell in love with Emily before he ever met her."

"He's fallen in love with every girl in this school," James said, "If the girls are telling the truth, they've all rejected him. I got rejected a few times by some girls. It hurts. If every girl does it…"

"Emily wouldn't have rejected him," Serena said, "She would never do that. She would never cheat on Mike, but she couldn't hurt Frankie. Maybe after I got her to say that speech… Frankie knew that."

"He knew he could get her attention and eventually win her over."

"That's still no excuse for what he did," Serena looked up at James, "He's not getting off easy."

"Are you kidding?" James chuckled and he wrapped his arms around Serena, "With you as Emily's older sister, he's practically getting off scot-free! I'm sure, if you had your way…"

"He's be long, long dead."

"But we don't have to worry about that anymore," James kissed her and then smiled, "Emily's safe, Frankie's being looked after and everything's going back to how it should be."

Serena nodded, "More or less. You never simply move on from what Emily went through. Maybe she should see Dr. Fletcher again…"

"Who?"

"No one," Serena sighed and then looked up at a clock, "We should probably head to the auditorium. I don't know if you've noticed, but this place is crawling with cops."

James chuckled, "Really? With all the cars outside I never would have guessed."

"I've gotten as far as I can with the anti-bullying thing," Serena said, "but I'm still not done. With the way Frankie was treated here… I can't believe I'm doing this for him, but I brought in the pros. They're giving a huge lecture about bullying. It's pretty intense, but some students are really starting to see just how far it can go and I find it very entertaining trying to guess which ones have already pissed their pants."

"Only you," James laughed and playfully rolled his eyes.

"I want this school in shape by the end of the year. It may still be months away, but that's not a lot of time. This has gone on for far too long and it ends now."

-Samurai-

Kevin took a deep breath, "Alright, Antonio, this is just a little goldfish. All you have to do is hold the bag."

After the failure that was the grilled fish, Kevin and Mia had taken Antonio down to the pet store and had bought him a fish, hoping the live goldfish could snap him out of his fears.

Antonio shook his head and crossed his arms. He refused to get near the bag. He knew how important it was he face his fears but he could not do it. He was frozen and could not snap himself out of it.

"It's just a little fish," Kevin said and held the bag a little closer to Antonio, "You won't even be touching the fish. Just the bag."

With a very shaky hand, Antonio reached out and pinched the top of the bag with his fingers. He had a horrified look on his face and turned away so he didn't have to look. After a couple of seconds, though, he snuck a peek and saw the goldfish was staring right at him. He threw the bag in the air and ran for cover behind Mia. The bag hit the ground and popped, letting the water flood out all over the parking lot ground and the fish was left flopping around.

"Poor Goldie," Mia sighed. Kevin looked around and quickly created a tiny container of water for the fish. He picked up the goldfish and put it in the water before it died. He gave the container to Mia and grabbed Antonio, pulling him out from behind the pink Ranger.

"This is getting ridiculous," he said, "Antonio; you're doing this for Jayden. It's just a little goldfish. You're the fisherman!"

"I was almost eaten as a fish!"

"But you weren't," Kevin crossed his arms over his chest, "Antonio, this isn't a fear that should be conquered for the sake of conquering your fears. This is life or death. What if we need you in battle and you can't show up? What if one of us dies protecting you? Or you die protecting us?"

"I know, I know…"

Kevin pointed to the fish, "Reach in and touch it."

Antonio looked away, pretending he couldn't hear Kevin. The blue Ranger grabbed the gold's hand and tried to make the Antonio touch the fish.

Antonio screamed and jumped back, "NO!"

Kevin sighed, "Alright… that's it. Plan Z," Kevin took a deep breath, "If you touch the fish, just touch the fish, I will run around the Shiba House in nothing but my boxers and that horrible tutu."

Mia held back a laugh. This was not something she had discussed with Kevin but she was very intrigued by this approach. Kevin seemed desperate to get the old Antonio back. As desperate, he was willing to wear the tutu again.

Antonio's jaw dropped, "If I just touch the fish?"

"Just touch it."

"I don't have to magically get over my fear? All I have to do is touch the fish?"

"Like you've done a thousand times before."

"And you're going to run around in nothing but boxers and the tutu?"

"Yes."

"For an entire day?"

"For ten minutes."

Antonio shook his head, "Counter offer. I touch the fish _and_ eat the grilled one back at home; you have to spend one entire day in nothing but your boxers and the tutu. Twenty four hours. If a Nighlok attacks, you wear the tutu over the Ranger suit."

Kevin looked to the gold Ranger and then to Mia, hoping she could find a middle ground.

Mia did not want to find a middle ground. Mia loved Antonio's idea. It wasn't often she got to see Kevin making a fool of himself.

"He makes a very tempting offer."

Kevin grumbled. Without Mia's support what could he do?

"Alright, but I will only be obliged to do so if you find a way to get passed this nonsense and join the team again," Kevin said.

Antonio immediately reached his hand onto the container and touched the goldfish. He was terrified, but if this meant he got to watch Kevin making a fool out of himself, touching the fish was worth it.

"Phase one: complete."

Mia chuckled and gave Antonio a supportive smile. Kevin groaned and shook his head.

"What have I agreed to?"


	46. Face Your Fears

Jayden walked around the house. Since Antonio had run away he had been feeling completely numb, and the return of his best friend had done nothing, absolutely nothing, to fix that.

The thought of something happening to Antonio had hurt Jayden so badly that in order to erase the pain, Jayden needed to erase everything else. No more sad Jayden, no more happy Jayden. What once was felt like it never would be again.

"No!" he heard a shout from the dojo and investigated, only to find Antonio, fully morph, and running away from his Barracuda Blade. Jayden knew the gold Ranger, or former Ranger, was trying to overcome his fear, but it was too little too late. The damage was done and it was irreversible. Jayden stood in the doorway with his arms crossed over his chest while Antonio curled up into a ball.

If only Antonio hadn't run away. If Antonio had done the smart thing and had asked the team for help, Jayden would have been right there, by his side, helping him through this. He understood the reason for his fear but not the reason for running away. He never would.

Mia and Kevin, who were helping Antonio, hadn't noticed Jayden was standing in the doorway yet. Kevin rolled his eyes and groaned, but there was a small look of satisfaction in his eyes. Mia walked over to Antonio and knelt down beside him. She placed her hand on his back.

"Antonio, I promise you, if you had anything to be afraid of we wouldn't be asking you to fight your fears," she said, "It's just your Barracuda Blade. It's not going to hurt you."

"No," Antonio was rocking back and forth in his ball and he held his head tightly in his hands, "No… I can't. I'm sorry. I can't be gold Ranger anymore."

"Snap out of it, Antonio," Kevin sighed, "This is a bit ridiculous. You touched that fish at the pet store, you ate the grilled fish. Why can't you do this? It's a weapon! It's not even a fish."

"It looks like a fish," Antonio pointed to his blade and Kevin saw he was right, but that didn't change anything.

Jayden shook his head. If he could feel anything, he would feel disappointment. But he was numb and he was staying that way.

"You have to give him credit," he heard someone say and looked down. Emily had joined him to watch, "He's trying really, really hard."

"It's too late."

"He's doing this for you, you know," Emily looked up at Jayden.

"What do you know? You're not even talking to him."

"Neither are you," Emily shrugged, "Haven't you been afraid of something before? Besides, I remember a certain red Ranger had run away from home once? Actually, I think it was because _you_ were scared."

Jayden shook his head, "That was different."

"I was hurt," Emily continued, "I remember my knee was sore from when I fell down the ravine. Mike and Kevin took a big hit for you and nearly got themselves killed for it. You got scared we would all get hurt and you ran away to try and protect us. Isn't that just like what Antonio did?"

"I wasn't running away from anyone. I didn't have someone back here who cared."

"Well, you had Ji, for starters," Emily shook her head, "He tried not to let it show, but he was worried for you."

"Ji knows why I…"

"And then you had us," Emily said, "We were worried sick. We were scared something happened to you."

"Emily…"

"I'm mad at Antonio too, but you have to be able to see just how hard he's trying. I'm breaking my own rule."

Jayden watched her walk right into the dojo. She picked up the Barracuda Blade and cleared her throat. Antonio looked up and saw her holding the sword out.

"Em?"

"If I have to find me way out of a burning house to conquer my fear or fire, you're getting over this fear of fish. For starters, what's scarier? Being inside a burning house or holding your own weapon?"

"Emily…"

"You owe me," Emily said, "It's because of you Frankie got me, and what he did was bad enough but it could have been worse, much worse, and it would have been your fault. So touch the stupid Barracuda Blade, become the Gold Ranger again, or I'm going to tie you up and lock you in a closet. Either way, you owe me."

"I can't touch it…"

Emily walked right up to Antonio and put the blade in his hands. Antonio tried to crawl away but he was already against the wall. Emily had him cornered and she knew it.

"You are a cruel, cruel human being," Antonio looked at her. Emily put the blade in his hands. He trembled at its touch and tried it let go, but Emily wouldn't let him.

Suddenly, the Gap Sensor went off. Antonio breathed a huge sigh of relief as the others all got up to leave.

Just as he was running out, Kevin turned back to Antonio, "Aren't you coming?"

Antonio shook his head fearfully, "I can't fight. I'm not use to you."

Kevin looked to Antonio and then back over his shoulder. He had to go.

"Find a way to meet us out there, Antonio," he said, "You remember out deal."

Antonio nodded as Kevin ran off, joining the others in the fight. Antonio got up. He dropped his Barracuda Blade and walked slowly to the common room. When he got there he saw Ji standing over the table, looking at him with a look of disappointment.

"You are not going?"

"I'm done," Antonio nodded, "It's over. I'm sorry, Mentor."

"You are putting your friends in great danger."

"And I feel shitty about it," Antonio sighed, "but I just can't go."

Ji walked over to the bookshelf and opened up one of the cabinets. He pulled out what Antonio had always assumed was just a simple lantern. Ji placed the lantern on the table and looked back to Antonio.

"This was made long ago," Ji started to explain, "But when it was created, it was discovered that none of the Rangers had the power to harness its abilities."

"What is it?"

"That is for you to find out," Ji said. "It requires the power of the Light Symbol. I knew when you joined the team, that one day it would belong to you. But we have never needed it until today."

"What do you mean?"

"If you won't go into battle as the Light Ranger, we will have to find a replacement for you. The Light Zord will have to do until you can get over this ridiculous fear."

Terran's crying started up and with Serena still at school; Mentor had to go check up on the little boy. Ji gave Antonio one last look.

"Only you can program it. Once you have, it'll be up to you to deliver it to the others."

"I'll be making the thing that replaces me?"

"It was your choice, Antonio," Ji nodded, "and it's up to you what you choose to do with the Light Zord, but if you choose to quit, the Light Zord stays here, where it can be of use to those who need it."

Antonio looked at the Light Zord and gulped.

"Oh," Ji said as he walked by Antonio, "One more thing."

Antonio looked up as Ji whistled and suddenly he was pushed off his chair and he landed on his back on the floor. Looking up, he gasped loudly. There was Scruffy, standing over him, pinning him to the floor, with a whole fish hanging from his mouth.

"Stay, boy," Ji commanded the dog, who sat on Antonio and stared at the Gold Ranger while he held the fish in his mouth. Ji started to walk away.

"Mentor! Mentor, get him off! This is cruel!"

"Actually, I find it quite entertaining," Mentor smirked and left the room for good. Antonio gulped. Staring at the dog with the fish in its mouth gave Antonio horrible flashbacks to what almost happened. That fish could very well have been Antonio.

"Please don't eat me," Antonio whined.

-Samurai-

The Spitfangs had been launching fireballs at the city from the top of the cliff overlooking the city, but when the Rangers arrived to defeat them, something had stopped them. A powerful lightning bolt from the sky, one that was so unnatural, struck down, sending the Rangers to the ground and destroying the Spitfangs.

"They took out their own guys," Mike said as he got to his feet. He pulled Emily up and held his arm out protectively in front of her. If Xandred was destroying his own army, there had to be a reason for it.

Laughter from the sky drew the Rangers' attention up as a Nighlok slowly dropped down, smirking widely. It didn't take a genius to figure out this Nighlok had been the one behind the lightning, and if that attack was anything to go by, he was tough.

"So, you're the current Samurai Power Rangers," he said and looked at each of the Rangers directly, "How illuminating."

"Who is this freak?"

"I am Serrator," the Nighlok answered Kevin, "and I recently became the newest passenger aboard Master Xandred's ship. The last time I walked this pitiful realm is so long ago, I've returned to shake the very foundation of your world but for now, shall we test how tough you really are?"

"This is no ordinary bad guy," Kevin said and turned to Jayden. The red Ranger nodded his head.

"Be at the top of your game."

"Test time!" Serrator cried out and shot long claws out at the Rangers. The Samurai jumped out of the way and began with their own attacks. Their advantage now was that they had him outnumbered. Serrator had come without Moogers, leaving all five Rangers ready and open to fight him.

Jayden swung his sword down but Serrator caught it between his large, metal like fingers and then clawed at Jayden, swiping back and forth until the red Ranger was on the ground.

The other four went in for the attack as well, but Serrator held them all off with ease. In fact, to the Rangers, it almost seemed like he was dancing and enjoying this fight. For them, it was anything but pleasurable.

Serrator got Mia to the ground and Kevin jumped into protect her. Serrator jabbed at Kevin with his claws, knocking the blue Ranger down. Emily tried her hand after that, but Serrator tripped her and got her to the ground with ease. As he was about to swipe at her with his claws, Mike jumped it and took the attack.

And there was no end to Serrator's seemingly impossible advantage. None of the Rangers could get a good hit and Serrator was laughing to himself the entire time. He was having a blast. He was enjoying this.


	47. The Tutu's Return

Antonio could see it on the news. The fight was not going well at all. The Rangers were getting their asses kicked while the Nighlok enjoyed watching it all happen. It was just like with that Nighlok, Takeshi. He had been enjoying every moment of the Rangers' suffering.

Scruffy was still sitting on Antonio with the fish in his mouth. He hadn't yet eaten it and the more Antonio thought about it, the more he started to realize maybe it was never Scruffy's intention to eat the fish. He had never seen the dog eating a whole fish before. The only human food Scruffy did touch were scraps from plates and whatever the Samurai handfed him. He never went after an entire meal.

"Drop it," he told the dog and Scruffy did exactly that. He let the fish fall out of his mouth and onto Antonio. The Gold Ranger shifted slightly and flicked the fish away. Scruffy jumped off Antonio's lap to get the fish, like he would if Antonio had thrown a ball.

Antonio saw this and gasped. Scruffy hadn't been trying to eat him, he had been playing! He wanted to play with the fish.

"You thought I was a toy," Antonio smiled and he saw the toy bin for Scruffy sitting in the corner, with all the different dog toys available for him to play with. One even resembled a fish. It had been a toy Antonio had bought for fun. Scruffy must have been confused. He wasn't allowed to eat the human food without permission, but no one ever left a plate of food lying around.

Antonio turned back to the TV, still flashing updates about the Rangers' fight against the Nighlok who was toying with the Rangers.

Scruffy brought the fish back to Antonio, who turned back to the box of toys.

"Toys," Antonio muttered, "Maybe I need a new toy."

He saw the Light Zord on the table. Mentor Ji said none of the Rangers had even been able to use it before. It required the symbol of Light, a symbol that had never been harnessed until Antonio showed up. He picked up the lantern from the table and took a good look at it.

"Hold on guys," he muttered, "I'll be there soon."

-Samurai-

Serrator was definitely the toughest Nighlok any of the Rangers had faced before, and what was worse was that he could create his own monsters at Mega size from nothing but a piece of paper and his scissor-like fingers.

In Super Samurai Mode, Jayden could take on the Mega Monster with the Megazord while the other Rangers continued to fight Serrator on the ground, but unable to defeat him when they were a team of five, there was nothing they could do against him as a team of four.

Jayden was doing no better. The Megazord was taking hit after hit. It had lost all its armour and even its helmet, leaving it completely vulnerable to attack. Inside the cockpit, Jayden was struggling to stand up. He could feel the Lion Zord's power beginning to fail and he knew he didn't have long left.

"Hold on, guys," he said to the Zord, hoping he could get them all back up. The lights in the cockpit dimmed. Jayden had never seen this happen before.

Serrator cackled s the Rangers rolled around on the ground. He hadn't planned on taking them all out this easily, hoping to keep them alive for another battle. But they had disappointed him. How had they made it this far against Master Xandred if they were so weak?

"Maybe if we up the stakes," he said and walked right up to the pink Ranger. He held his sword just over her neck and prepared to take her head right off her shoulders.

"Mia!" Kevin screamed and tried, with all the strength he had left, to push himself up and give the Nighlok the fight it wanted, but he was too tired and too sore. His muscles failed him. As he fell back to the ground he buried his face in his arms. He didn't want to watch.

"I've always hated pink," Serrator said and pulled his sword up, preparing himself for the swing.

"Not so fast!"

The last thing Mia saw before she closed her eyes was a disk hitting Serrator right in the hand, knocking the sword out of his grasp before it was used to kill Mia. The Rangers all turned to see who had saved her. Antonio was standing, fully morphed with what seemed to be a lantern in his hand.

The lantern brought up many questions in the Rangers' heads, but none of them asked, thankful Antonio had come just at the right moment.

Antonio held up the lantern and pointed it at Serrator. Suddenly, disks were fired out so quickly, Serrator had no time to avoid them. As he danced around, trying to minimize the hits he would take, Antonio got in close and attacked Serrator with as much power as he had.

NO ONE threatened his friends and got away with it.

"I underestimated you," Serrator growled as he inspected him arm. For the first time since he challenged the Rangers he was actually in pain. "It seems you passed my test, for now."

A gap opened up under his feet and Serrator disappeared. Antonio hurried over to the Rangers, helping them up to his feet.

"You're morphed," Emily smiled behind her helmet. Antonio nodded his head.

"I couldn't let you guys have all the fun," he said, "I'm still a little scared of fish, but for now, gold's got a new toy."

The ground shook under the Rangers feet, knocking them all back down and reminding them that Jayden was still taking a hard beating inside the Megazord.

"We need to help him!" Mia said and the Rangers started to run towards the Megazord. Antonio held his arms out, stopping them.

"You guys have taken enough of a beating," he said, "Leave it to me!"

He threw the lantern up in the air and traced a symbol. The Light Zord grew into Megamode and transformed into its own Megazord.

"No way!" Kevin gasped as the new Light Megazord went right into battle, rescuing Jayden and the Zords from their beating.

Antonio, who was still on the ground, nodded his head, "I gave Lighty a few upgrades."

"Lighty?" Mike frowned, "That's what you're calling it?"

"Tester name," Antonio shrugged. He looked back up at the fight, "C'mon, Light Zord, show that overgrown nuisance what you're made of!"

Without hesitation, and without missing a single step, the Light Zord pounded into the monster, taking him out faster than the Rangers had ever seen until suddenly he froze up.

"Jayden, hit him in the butt!" Antonio shouted, "Give him the ass kicking I deserve."

It took a moment, but the Samurai Megazord finally obliged and gave the Light Zord and hard slap on the butt, raising quite a few eyebrows from the other Rangers who were quickly distracted by the end of the battle. The monster blew to pieces and the Light Zord shrank and folded itself back up again and landed in Antonio's hands.

"Awesome job, buddy," Antonio said and gently pat the top of the lantern.

The other Samurai gathered around him. The Samurai Megazord wasn't disassembling. Something was wrong.

"Get back!" Mike suddenly shouted and grabbed Emily, pulling her as fast as he could out of the way while the others followed. Behind them, the Megazord began to spark and a large explosion blew through the clearing, knocking the Rangers off their feet and right out of their Ranger suits.

"What was that?" Kevin coughed and pulled himself up slowly. The smoke was lifting but it was still hard to see.

"Jayden!" Antonio felt his heart dropping. Jayden had been inside. If the effects of the explosion from this distance were strong enough to power him down, there was no telling what state Jayden was left in. He jumped to his feet and started to run. The others were right behind him, trying their best to keep up.

As they got to the spot where the Megazord had fallen, the Rangers saw nothing. No large Zords lying on the ground, nothing. The spot was completely barren.

Finally, Antonio saw him standing up. Jayden, with a lot of difficulty made it to his feet for a few seconds before falling to his knees. Antonio hurried over and caught him before he landed face first in the dirt. Jayden was unconscious and badly hurt. His suit had protected him from the worst of the explosion, but he had taken a good hit.

"Jayden," Antonio held the red Ranger in his arms, cradling him gently as he tried to wake him, "C'mon, Jayden. I'm sorry. I'll never run away again, I swear! Jayden?"

While Antonio tried to wake Jayden up, the other Samurai were looking around for their Zords. Normally the little creatures appeared right in their hands when they powered down but this time they hadn't shown up. The explosion had the team worried something had happened.

"Lion Zord?" Mike asked and knelt down, seeing a spot of red moving on the ground. He picked up the lion and hissed inwardly. It too was badly hurt. The Zords occasionally returned slightly damaged and in need of repair, but never like this and rarely was it the Lion Zord. It was usually very protected by the arms: the turtle and ape.

"Where are the others?" Mia asked, worried for her Zord.

"Dragon Zord!" Kevin called and he knelt down to pick up his dragon. He held it gently in his hands. The dragon had nearly been torn in half and could no longer fold up into its inactive state. Kevin very carefully carried the Zord back over to Mia and Mike to show them.

"That's bad," Mike said and looked down at the dragon, "Dude, that's really bad."

"Bad like this?" Emily asked, returning with her arms full. She was carrying the ape, turtle and the bear. They were all just as badly hurt as the dragon.

"We need to get them home," Mia gently took her turtle Zord and held her protectively, "We need to fix them up.

Mike nodded his head. He gently passed the lion Zord to Kevin and walked over to Antonio and Jayden. With his help, Antonio got Jayden up to his feet and the boys dragged him back to the Shiba House while Mia, Kevin, and Emily took care of the Zords.

-Samurai-

"Ow! Stop it. I'm fine."

"Like hell you are," Serena shook her head and finished up with the cut on Emily's forehead. After the battle, each of the Rangers had come back with their scars that needed to be looked after. Serena had gotten home from school in time to treat her friends while Mentor Ji and Antonio tended to Jayden. No one knew how he was doing. Mentor Ji took him into his bedroom with Antonio and the three hadn't been seen since.

"That Nighlok was tough," Kevin said and his eyes strayed to the Zords on the table. After Emily, they were next to be looked at. "I've never seen the Zords like this before. They're usually very strong."

"They still are," Mia said. She turned away from the bookshelf with a book in her hand. She brought the book to the table, "Serrator's just stronger."

"He's going to be a trouble maker, then," Mike grumbled and massaged his arm. Now that he had time to relax he was starting to realize just how badly it hurt. "He was messing around with us. He could have killed us all if he wanted to."

"You guys be careful if you have to face him or his Nighlok again," Serena said, "if his creations can do that to the Zords, there's no telling what he can do to you."

Emily knelt down by the table and carefully took the ape Zord in her hands. She had never seen the ape hurting like this before and didn't know anything about repairing it.

"Ji will have a look at them once he's done with Jayden," Mia assured Emily and placed a hand on her shoulder, "He'll fix them up like he always does."

Footsteps grabbed the Rangers' attention as they turned and saw Antonio walking into the common room. He was holding his head down low, trying to hide the tears that were still visible.

"Jayden's fine," he told the team, "He should be up and about tomorrow morning."

"Then why are you crying?" Mia asked.

Antonio shook his head. He took a seat on his stool and held his head in his hands, "I'm sorry, guys. I'm really sorry."

"Serrator's the one who should be sorry," Kevin said. "Antonio, you saved Mia. You saved the day."

"Not until after I ruined it," Antonio said, "Frankie got Emily because of me and… what if we didn't find her?"

"I'm fine, Antonio," Emily told him. She set the ape Zord back down on the table and walked over to the gold Ranger. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders but he shrugged it off.

"Mike caught Frankie driving away in his car with you in it. If he had been seconds too late we'd be down a Ranger. Serrator would have still attacked and you guys would have been worse than you are now."

"Would have," Mia nodded her head, "but we aren't. We're fine."

"Jayden got hurt because of me," Antonio looked down at his hands and breathed loudly. "I'm pathetic. I'm the most pathetic Ranger there is. I'm not golden… I'm rusted."

"Gold doesn't rust, Antonio," Serena said, "but you were stupid and pathetic and… you were a moron."

"Serena…"

"He needs to hear this, Mia," Serena stood right in front of Antonio and glared at him, "Quitting the team is one thing when you tell us where you are and why you're leaving. No one asked you to join. But running away, even if you leave a note, is the most selfish, stupid, dumbass move I have ever seen anyone do, and I've seen and done some stupid shit myself."

"I know. I'm sorry…"

"Sorry doesn't do anything," Serena said, "You need to do something. If you're really sorry, you'll move on. You'll be the gold Ranger and you'll help your friends. And never again will you ever think about leaving them behind. If you do, I will hunt you down and I will kill you."

At this point, Serena's face was inches from Antonio's, their noses barely touching. He had leaned back as far as he could but he couldn't escape Serena. He gulped loudly and nodded his head.

"Yes, mam."

"Where should you be right now?" Serena asked and Antonio jumped to his feet and started to leave so he could tend to Jayden. Just as he was about to go, though, Mia cleared her throat.

"Antonio," she called, "I think you're forgetting something. A certain Ranger made you a promise."

Kevin was waving his hand in front of his neck, trying to tell Mia to stop with the reminder. Mia though was having too much fun.

"I remember a certain Ranger promising you he would wear the tutu if you found a way to get passed your fears and join the team. If that battle was anything to go by, you've certainly done that."

"Oh yeah," Antonio nodded, having completely forgotten about his deal with Kevin due to all the madness. He gave the blue Ranger a smirk, "C'mon, buddy, take it off."

"But you…"

"You made the deal," Mia smirked, "C'mon, Kevin. What about honour?"

Kevin grumbled and pulled off his sweater and shirt, "I'm so going to regret this."

Mia left to retrieve the tutu and when she came back she saw Kevin was still wearing his pants. She shook his head.

"C'mon," she said, "the deal was boxers and tutu, nothing else."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" Kevin shot her a look. Mia nodded her head.

"Of course."

Kevin reached for his pants and sighed loudly.

Serena put her hand in front of Emily's eyes. Mike was doing everything he could to keep himself from bursting out with laughter.

Kevin took off his pants and slipped on the tutu. He shot Mia and Antonio a look and then crossed his arms over his chest and pouted. Everyone started to snicker, "This is not funny. I was helping out a friend."

"Dude, mad props for this one," Mike said and bumped fists with Antonio, "I can almost forgive you for the whole Frankie thing. _This _is golden."

"I wanna see!" Emily tried and finally succeeded at pulling Serena's hands away from her face. She saw Kevin and laughed, "It's not golden, it's pink and frilly! I so would have fought my fear of fire much sooner if I knew you would do this!"

"I was helping Antonio," Kevin said and looked down at the tutu, "I got a little desperate."

"It's only for a day," Mia chuckled.

"Just, find a way to rock it, dude," Mike nodded his head, "Own it. You're the master of the tutu," Mike could barely finish his sentence without laughing and everyone else joined in. A small smile tugged at Kevin's lips. As much as he hated the tutu, he was happy to see everyone else happy again.

But he wouldn't admit it to the others.

"Laugh it up, guys, because in twenty four hours, this thing is gone."


	48. Jayden's Forgiveness

When Jayden woke up, every part of his body was sore, but he still tried to push himself out of bed. There was no staying down for the leader of the Samurai Rangers. If he could move, he had to. His bedroom door opened up just as he swung his legs over the side of his bed. Antonio rushed to Jayden's side and tried to get him to lie back down.

"You'll be up and about with less pain much faster if you just stay in bed for the rest of the night," Antonio insisted but Jayden shook his head.

"I'm red Ranger, you're the runaway. I don't follow your orders."

Antonio lowered his head. He held out an ice pack for Jayden to take. The red Ranger smacked it out of Antonio's hand and got up out of the bed. He tried to walk to the door, but stumbled and fell to his knees. Antonio was by his side in an instant. He tried to help Jayden up, but Jayden pushed him away.

"I don't need your help, Antonio."

"Whether you need it or not, you're getting my help," Antonio pulled Jayden up to his feet and walked him back to bed. He tucked him in and placed the ice pack on his ribs, cooling him down instantly and taking the pain away. Jayden let out a small sigh of relief for the comfort, but quickly erased his ease and glared at Antonio with hatred.

"Get out."

"Can we talk?"

"You said it all in the note," Jayden shook his head, "There's nothing left to say, Antonio."

"I wasn't trying to hurt you."

"Well, you did."

"I was just… I got scared, Jay. I couldn't use my Barracuda Blade. I couldn't fight with you guys. What if I went into battle and panicked and someone got hurt trying to protect me?"

Jayden wouldn't listen. He wasn't looking at Antonio and seemed to be drifting off. Antonio grabbed his arms and shook him gently, trying to call him back.

"Look, Jay, I'm sorry. I know what I did was stupid and hurtful and if I could go back, you know I wouldn't do it."

Jayden shook his head, "You put the entire team in danger, Antonio. Because of you, Emily was kidnapped and we nearly lost that fight because you were too afraid to touch your stupid Blade."

"I know…" Antonio got up as he realized there was nothing he could do. The damage had been done and the only thing he could do was wait for the broken pieces to be cleaned up. Maybe then he could try and earn back Jayden's trust, but until then, waiting was the only option.

As he reached the door he heard a whisper and then a sob. He couldn't make out what Jayden had said, but it had been something that pushed him over. Now the red Ranger was laying back in his bed, his hands pressed to his eyes, trying to hold back the tears as he cried.

"What did you say?" Antonio asked but prepared to run in case he really set Jayden off.

"Why did you leave?" Jayden asked through the sobs. Antonio looked down at his feet. Apologizing would do no good. Apologizing didn't give Jayden any answers; it didn't take away the pain. Apologies meant absolutely nothing, especially in this case.

"Honestly… I was scared of letting you all down…"

"Look how that worked out," Jayden scoffed sarcastically. He tried to wipe away the tears but they were coming down too fast.

"I was scared you guys would all laugh. I'm a fisherman who is afraid of fish. Of all things, fish?"

"Why would we laugh?" Jayden shook his head, "We're your friends, Antonio. I'm your boyfriend. We would have helped."

"That's what Emily said…" Antonio sighed, "I get it, Jayden. Running away was wrong. You were probably out of your mind with worry and I shouldn't have… I just… I just got so scared."

It was Antonio's turn to start crying.

"I am sorry, Jayden. I really… I really, really am."

"You have no idea how worried I was for you," Jayden said, "Do you have any idea at all what you mean to me?"

"A lot?"

Jayden nodded his head, "I love you, Antonio. I don't care if you're scare of fish, dragons, monsters, or your own toes. You can't run away from the team and you can't run away from me. Not if we're going to make this work. Not if we're going to make us work. We're a team. Our lives aren't our own. My life is in your hands, in everyone's hands, and if you let go you're putting me in a little more danger. You're putting everyone in a little more danger."

"I was stupid," Antonio said, "I didn't expect things to get this bad because I ran away and I know they could have been much worse. If Frankie did get away, Emily would be gone. If I didn't show up to that battle, we could have lost you, or the Zords, and Mia definitely would have been a goner if I had been even one second late."

Antonio gulped, "I get it now, Jayden. I get it now more than ever. I'm not leaving this team again, I won't leave you. Running away was the stupidest thing I could have ever done and it hurt you and the others more than I imagined. I'm really sorry, it won't happen again, and you have me, no matter what, by your side."

"By my side?"

"I'm your partner, Jayden. I'm your boyfriend. Part of that means supporting you, just like you'll support me."

"I've always got your back, Antonio," Jayden nodded, "But I can't protect it if you're off wandering the city and I have no idea where it is."

Antonio smiled, "From now on, you'll know," he sat down on the bed, "So, are we…?"

"I'm still pissed," Jayden huffed and then he cracked a smile and hugged Antonio, "but give it a little time; I think we'll be okay."

Antonio nodded. This was more than he could ask for. He was lucky with Jayden. He was a very, very lucky man, and he would never forget it. He would never forget this experience and all the pain he caused.

"Now get out," Jayden said, "You're still not sleeping here."

"I've got the Zords to work on, anyways," Antonio said, "They took a pretty bad beating against that Nighlok."

-Samurai-

The following morning, Jayden still wasn't too happy with Antonio, but he did feel like he had forgiven him.

In his sleep, he had had a dream about the time he himself ran away. He remembered the fear he felt, all the different emotions and the questions he had. He remembered how worried his team had been when they found him.

And what was worse: he had left no indication that he was gone, and he had left the team badly injured. Kevin and Mike had taken a hit for him that had pulled the out of battle for nearly as long as he had been gone, maybe more if they hadn't been forced out of bed. Emily had her banged up knee and could barely walk. He had basically left Mia stranded with his injured team. At least Antonio had left a note, and had left because he was the weak party.

So on the terms of understanding and forgiveness, Jayden was ready to open his arms to Antonio and let him back into his life.

On the terms of a relationship, Antonio still had quite a way to go.

Limping from his attack the day before, Jayden made it into the common room. No one was up yet. Like usual he was one of the first, up even before Terran. In the common room, he saw Antonio passed out, slouched over the table with Mia's turtle Zord in his hands. He hadn't been kidding when he said he had some repairs to do.

Jayden freed the turtle from the gold Ranger's hand and looked at the work Antonio had managed to accomplish. He hadn't seen the starting point, but he had been inside the Megazord during the beating and he knew the Zords had been quite damaged. To see they were able to go into their inactive state to rest was a huge step up, almost guaranteeing they would be ready for the next battle if Xandred decided to wait another day or so.

Looking to Antonio next, Jayden couldn't help but smile. The gold Ranger had done a lot for the team. Without him… Jayden didn't know where they would be. His contributions started the minute he joined, when he brought back the Octozord, and since then he had been an invaluable member.

"You're worth your weight in gold," Jayden smirked as he grabbed a blanket and draped it over Antonio's shoulders.

"Gold jokes are reserved for me," Antonio muttered, still half asleep, but awake enough to know what was going on. He lifted his head and rubbed his eyes, "What time is it?"

Jayden took a seat on his stool, "You're cute, with your face all pressed against the table and smooshed like that."

Antonio looked to the red Ranger, "How are you feeling? Any better?"

"A little sore," Jayden admitted, "A little stiff, but it won't hold me back."

"You should rest a little more," Antonio pushed himself up, "There's no need to push yourself when you should be recovering. We'll need the team at full strength if that Nighlok comes back."

"Serrator," Jayden said and let Antonio help him up to his feet. "He's serving Master Xandred, but something tells me he's not a blind follower like most Nighlok."

"He's got his own agenda?" Antonio asked.

"Probably," Jayden nodded, "Let's just hope Xandred realizes it soon and destroys him for us."

"I like a good challenge," Antonio shrugged, "Besides, with the six of us, we're unstoppable. Serrator wasn't so tough against the Light Zord."

"You'll have to stay," Jayden said, "I know we discussed it last night, but you'll have to stay and work with us. Even if you think it is humiliating."

"Trust me," Antonio snickered and pointed down the hall, "My fear of fish is not going to be the most humiliating thing anyone's ever done."

Jayden followed Antonio's point and saw Kevin who had just woken up and was headed to the kitchen for breakfast. The blue Ranger was wearing nothing but his boxers and the tutu Mike had used to dress him up as a ballerina. Jayden started to chuckled.

"What the…"

"Fortunately, not everyone was pissed off at me when I came home," Antonio said, "Mia and Kevin tried to help me out with my fear and Kevin promised that if I could find a way to join you guys again, he would wear the tutu."

"If I'm napping through this," Jayden said, "you're taking pictures."

Antonio nodded his head, "I'll have an entire Facebook page of pictures for everyone to see."

"I heard that!" Kevin called from the kitchen.

"C'mon," Antonio let Jayden back to their room, "Back to bed for you."


	49. The Dates

Mike saw the pictures online and his stomach turned at the sight. Journalists had gotten their hands on the kidnapping story and were refusing to let it go. It was still fresh so they had the opportunity to juice it for all it was worth, but it was starting to get old for Mike.

"What are you staring at?" he heard Emily ask over his shoulder and he closed the lid to his laptop. He refused to let her see she was the feature story on the news and her pictures were all over the internet. He didn't want her to know that everyone in the city now knew of her horror.

"Nothing. Just a kitten playing with a ball of yarn."

"Aw, I wanna see," Emily opened up the lid. Mike pulled her hand away and closed it.

"It's not that cute, Em," he said. He put the laptop of the table and pulled her onto his lap, "What's up?"

"Nothing much," Emily answered with a smile, "Kevin wore his tutu to training this morning and you missed it."

"I had an appointment with Dr. Fletcher," Mike nodded, "You know that."

"You couldn't reschedule? You missed it! Even Terran was giggling when he watched."

"Terran giggles at the word tutu."

"Terran giggles a lot, now," Emily nodded and then let out a sigh, "I missed the days when it was only me who could make him laugh."

"I'm sure you're always going to be his funny Auntie Emy," Mike smiled and then leaned in to kiss her before he suddenly felt the weight in his lap get a little heavier. He looked down and there was Terran.

"Is this a sign?" he asked Emily and then looked across the room and saw Serena was slipping on a light jacket.

"Lunch date," she explained. Mike furrowed his brow.

"You see James five days a week."

"Six, this week," Serena said, "After everything that's happened I just need some peace and quiet. You two are welcome to join, though. I'm sure James won't mind a double date."

"Are you sure?" Emily asked. Serena nodded her head.

"It's like Mike said, he and I do see each other five days a week. We're constantly interrupted by annoying little brats, but we do see each other."

Emily smiled and looked up at Mike, "My last date was with Frankie."

"We need to fix that," Mike said and got up, carrying Emily bridal style in his arms while she held onto Terran, "We should get ready for the date."

"You can go as you are," Serena shrugged, "It's no place fancy. We can even bring Terran."

"Really?"

Serena nodded, "I am Terran's food source," she chuckled, "Antonio suggested it. He says the restaurant looks beat up, but the food's amazing and the staff is awesome. Apparently they fed him or something while he was away."

"Onward, then," Mike said and walked out the door, taking Emily and Terran with him. Serena shook her head and sighed.

"Put them down before you drop them both!"

-Samurai-

Kevin looked up at the clock.

"Twelve more hours to go."

"You look really good in that tutu," Mia assured him.

"I don't think that's a compliment," Kevin looked down, "This is embarrassing."

"You decided to wear it," she said, "We're just holding you to your promise."

"At least the team is back," Kevin said, "if it means wearing this tutu for a day, I'll take it."

"What about a week?"

Kevin blinked as he stared at Mia, "Team, what team?"

"C'mon, Kevin," Mia laughed, switching seats so she was next to him. She wrapped her arms around him, "The tutu's not that bad, and you've still got boxers."

"My only saving grace," Kevin flatted the tutu over his legs, "The things I do for the people I can barely stand."

"Oh c'mon, Kevin, you love Antonio."

"Love is a strong word," Kevin shook his head, "I love you. I put up with Antonio."

Mia smirked. She knew what would cheer Kevin up. She moved onto his lap and gave him a kiss.

"You know, I think it's really, really sweet how you'll do this for a guy you can barely stand," she started kissing down his neck. "It shows exactly what kind of man you are. Strong and brave, but kind and caring. The total package."

"Really?" Kevin asked. Mia looked up at him and bit her lip. She nodded her head with a smile then kissed his lips again.

"There's a reason I love this…"

"AHH!"

Kevin and Mia turned to the door when they heard someone scream and saw Antonio on the floor, trying desperately to crawl away.

"No more!" he shouted at them as he scrambled to his feet and ran down the hall, "Just stop it!"

Mia and Kevin watched his leave and then traded smirks before they burst out laughing.

"Now starts his fear of ballerinas," Mia said. "Think Xandred's got a ballerina on board that ship of his?"

Kevin shook his head, "You know the others always do that when they catch us in a moment."

"Run screaming?"

"Yep."

Mia nestled into Kevin's arms, "Apparently, watching us is like watching their moms and dads. It probably doesn't help that you're already half naked and very eager to get out of that tutu."

A wicked smirk appeared on Kevin's lips. He got up, holding Mia in his arms.

"Oh, Antonio!" he called and chased after the gold Ranger. He was going to have some fun with this tutu after all.

-Samurai-

Mike could help but notice, as he sat in the booth on the lunch date, that everyone in the restaurant was keeping their eyes on Emily. The customers, the wait staff, even a few of the employees from the back would pop their heads out to get a look.

Emily had noticed as well and was sinking further and further down into the booth.

Mike knew why they were staring. The story of her kidnapping was available nearly everywhere. On TV, in newspaper, on the internet. Mike was sure there wasn't a single person in the city who didn't know what happened, especially considering the Rangers had gotten involved in what seemed to be just a civilian matter.

Emily had no idea why there were so many eyes watching her. She had gotten used to it in school, when the kids used to stare at her to purposely make her uncomfortable, but this was worse, much worse.

Serena reached across the table and took her sister's hand, "We can go somewhere else," she whispered, "Away from these losers."

"Can I go to the bathroom?" Emily asked and Mike nodded his head. He scooted out of the booth, letting Emily out. Serena looked to James and he did the same so she could go with her sister. When the girls were gone and the boys were back in their seats, Mike looked to James.

"Have you been following the news?"

"They don't have Emily's side of the story," James nodded, "All they know is what Frankie said."

"And they believe him?"

"His neighbours saw the green Ranger beating him up," James said. "Some think he's the innocent one."

"What do the kids at school think?"

"He's a creepy guy," James shrugged. He looked at Mike, "I know why the Rangers got involved, but I think it's starting to backfire."

"How so?"

"How much have you seen?"

"Not much, really. Just pictures some idiot journalists have put up. I can't stomach more than that. I can barely stomach that."

"The innocent theory is only a part of one of the big theories. The people who think Frankie's the victim think the Rangers planned this to show the city they're in charge."

"Wait? What?"

"Power corrupts. The Rangers do, in a way, own this city. I mean, who can stop a freaking Megazord from trashing the city?"

"And what do Emily and Frankie have to do with it?"

"Emily's the in. She's with the Rangers and she helped stage it. She lured Frankie in, made him think he was in control, and then…"

"How did that theory start?"

"Frankie," James whispered, "Like I said, all we have is Frankie's word."

"Emily was too shaken up to talk," Mike shook his head. He hadn't been with Emily at the police station, but he had seen her before and he had seen her after. She had struggled to tell him about the kiss. There was no way she was going to tell a room of strange officers she had been vulnerable, "That's not fair."

"There is another theory," James said, "It's a bit better, but it's still not good. Some people think Emily might be a Ranger."

"And they came to that conclusion how?"

"The Rangers turning up at the school just as its announced that Emily's missing. You guys have a sensor that picks up on Nighlok attacks, not school fights. Then, another Ranger, from out of nowhere, manages to track Frankie down and fights savagely to rescue Emily. You guys do a lot of good for the city, but you don't help missing people unless its Nighlok related. Even then, the media's only got one other story of a Nighlok kidnap and it's Emily."

"What? When?"

"The fake Rangers," James said, "When they turned up and that Nighlok human thing kidnapped Emily. The Rangers saved her. That's the only other story they have and they've figured it out."

"So they think she's in with the Rangers or she is one?"

"Yep," James nodded. Mike leaned back in his seat and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Not good."

"I know."

Mike sighed and shook his head as the food arrived at the table. Mike noticed he had a new waitress and assumed their old one had gone for break. He quickly checked her name, just in case he needed to call on her for something.

"Thanks, Abby," he said as she set the plates down. She nodded, smiled, told the two men to enjoy, and then walked to the back.

Mike picked at his fries, "By the way, that Nighlok human who kidnapped Emily…"

"Yeah?"

"Serena's ex," He flicked his thumb over to Terran, who was sleeping in his carrier at the end of the table, "Terran's father," the colour drained from James' face and Mike chuckled, "Priceless."

-Samurai-

Antonio ran into his room and slammed the door shut. He made sure to lock it before he turned around and started to pant loudly. Jayden looked up from his bed and frowned.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Tutu plan backfired. It turns Mia on."

"So?"

"They aren't in their room."

Jayden gave Antonio a look of disgust, "Ew…"

Antonio nodded and walked over to the bed. Jayden tried to move the blankets but that only caused Antonio to become suspicious.

"What are you doing?"

"Napping."

"You don't look like you've been napping," Antonio reached for the blanket Jayden was obviously using to hide something, "What do you have under there?"

"Nothing."

"So why won't you let me see?"

"I should really be resting and I can't do that if you're…" Antonio ripped the notebook out from under the blankets.

"AHA!"

"I'm technically still in bed," Jayden said.

"Symbol power?" Antonio flipped through the pages and pages of symbols. "You've been practicing your symbol power? Jayden, that's worse than getting up and training! Symbol power is draining!"

"I know, I…"

Antonio tossed the notebook to his own bed, "Why can't you ever just rest? Why do you always have to be working? Take a break. Let your body recover. You were in the middle of a Megazord explosion. How many people survive that?"

"So far, one," Jayden said with a slight smirk. Antonio shook his head.

"Luckily for you, too. Now go to sleep."

"No," Jayden crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm not tired."

"Really?" Antonio cocked an eyebrow, "Are we doing imitations now? Are you trying to do Emily?"

Jayden realized what he looked like and uncrossed his arms. He sat up in bed, "Sorry, Antonio. I just can't rest up. It's not what I've been programmed to do and… you did kind of run away while I was sleeping."

"You know I'm not running away again," Antonio shook his head, "Don't use that as an excuse. You're just stubborn."

"Fine, but seriously, I'm not tired."

Antonio glanced over at the door, "Well… I guess until Kevin stops chasing me around, I'm trapped in here too," a wicked grin suddenly appeared on his face, "and you and I do have some making up to do."

"Are you doing to use me to get back at Kevin and Mia?"

Antonio nodded and leaned in for a kiss, "Two can play this game."

-Samurai-

Emily walked into the bathroom and checked it was empty before she turned around. She looked at Serena, ready to cry.

"They're all staring…"

Serena nodded her head, "I know, Em, but they can't do anything…"

"You would have said the same about Frankie. _'He's just a kid, Em. You're a Samurai Ranger! He's nothing to worry about!'_"

"Calm down," Serena gently grabbed Emily's arms, "Look at me, Emy, it's okay. Our weakest fighter right now is James, and I doubt there's a single person in this diner who wants to mess with him. Let's just get through dinner. Whatever shock these morons are facing will wear off. They'll get their food and we'll be left alone, okay?"

Emily gulped and nodded her head. Serena chuckled slightly and pulled her sister into her arms.

"It's okay," she promised her, "It's just stares. They can't kill. Trust me, I've tried. Especially with that boyfriend of yours. The boyfriend who hunted Frankie down? The boyfriend who will do anything to keep you safe? The boyfriend who…"

"I get it," Emily chuckled. "You have mixed feelings about him."

Serena nodded, "And trust me, Emy, if these people think Mike's their biggest problem… they're in for a surprise."

"You'll kick their butts?"

"Me?" Serena pointed to herself and shook her head, "Nahuh. Terran's got fists of fury. When I told him someone kidnapped you, you should have seen the look on his face."

Emily laughed. Serena gently poked her in the stomach.

"It was kind of like a cross between his peek-a-boo face, you know the one he makes when you disappear, and his poop face."

Emily laughed again.

Serena smiled, "Trust me, Monster, that kid's going to kick some ass if those people even think about trying anything. He'll just jump right out from that carrier and karate chops while Mommy and Aunty Emy sit back and watch with pride."

Emily nodded her head, "I would love to see that happen."

"Let's hope he doesn't have to unleash all that hidden power," Serena said and wrapped her arms around Emily's shoulders, "C'mon, squirt. Let's go back out there. I'm sure our food's been served by now."

Emily nodded her head as her sister guided her out of the bathroom. They were halfway to their table when Emily suddenly caught a glimpse of the waitress serving some guests. She froze up completely and Serena bumped right into her.

"Emy, one foot in front of the… Holy shit…"


	50. Feature Story

Abby placed the plates for her guests on their table.

"Here's your food guys, enjoy it," she gave them a warm smile and stood up straight. She turned around and suddenly she came to a full stop. Her expression fell, she stood just as frozen as the people she was staring at. She blinked repeatedly.

Over at their table, James was the first to spot Abby's strange behaviour and looked to see why. Emily and Serena were also somewhat frozen in place. Emily's eyes were locked with Abby and she was unmoving, while Serena was weakly trying to pull her sister aside.

"Emily, let's just go."

James nudged Mike and pointed over his shoulder. Mike turned around and saw what James was looking at but like the older man he had no clue what was going on. He had heard countless stories about Abby but he had never met her in person before. He had no idea who she was.

"Em," he called, stealing Emily's attention away from Abby. By now the whole room was staring at the scene. Already they had been drawn to Emily but now they were curious about the strange reaction to the waitress.

"C'mon, Emy," Serena finally managed to pull Emily back to the table and the girls slid past their boyfriends and into the booths.

Abby ran to the back and then quickly came out again. She walked over to their table and pulled up a chair while another waitress walked out from the kitchen and started looking over Abby's tables.

"Serena, Emily… I… I…"

"You got a job?" Serena asked. Abby nodded her head.

"I had to," she said, "my daughter wasn't going to pay for herself."

"Congratulations," Serena smiled genuinely for a moment and then looked back at Emily, "Monster, say hi."

"Hi," Emily barely looked to Abby.

"Hey, Em," Abby replied back. Things had been a little rocky the last time Abby saw Emily. Emily had confronted her for the years of bullying but had never given her true forgiveness. It had shown Abby just how badly she had messed up Emily's life and really gave her the push she needed to change her own life, and it made this reunion very awkward.

Serena pointed around the table, "Abby, this is my boyfriend James, Emily's boyfriend Mike, and my son, Terran. Guys, this is Abby."

Mike spit out his burger as his less-than-subtle-announcement that he finally figured out what was going on. James just continued to sit back in his confusion and watch everything happen.

Abby nodded to the men quickly and then lifted herself slightly from her seat to have a look at Terran, "He's so cute, Serena!"

Serena smiled, "Thanks. I noticed you're not sporting the baby bump anymore?"

"My daughter's at home with the sitter," Abby nodded, "I had a girl a few months back."

"What's her name?"

Abby blushed. Telling other people who she named her daughter after was easy. Telling the people she named her daughter after them was somewhat embarrassing, "Uh… well, she's got two names."

"I'd just like to know one of them," Serena chuckled. Abby looked down at her hands as she played with her fingers.

"Well, uh… I called her Emily Serena…" at this point, Abby was so red she could have taken Jayden's place as the red Ranger. She quickly looked back up at Serena and Emily, "You two have done so much for me, I just had to thank you somehow."

"I thought Emily was a stupid name," Emily muttered and Serena kicked her under the table, "Ow!"

Abby looked over to Emily, feeling a little bad about the past. She had made fun of Emily's name quite a bit, but she never hated it. It had just been something she said to hurt Emily. Something she regretted deeply.

As a new mother in a very small home, she barely had any time to sit down and watch the news, but she had heard stories about Emily's kidnapping and she had been worried about her. She had only found out about the kidnapping once Emily was safe, like most people, which had been a relief, but even now, the worry and guilt was starting to wash over Abby.

"How are you?" she asked.

"How do I look?" Emily muttered back.

"Better than me," Abby shrugged, "Your family's taking care of you."

Emily looked to Abby a little curiously. Of course her family was taking care of her. They always took care of her. Why would she think otherwise?

Mike pushed his plate away, trying to change the subject. He figured Abby heard about the kidnapping which was why she hadn't asked about the scratches and bruises on Emily, but Emily had no idea people knew about her. Emily had no idea about the stories and rumours.

He looked at his watch, "Shit, mom's going to kick my ass. I told her I would be back by now," he pulled out some money from his wallet, enough to cover for his and Emily's part of the meal as well as a small, very small, tip for Abby. He grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her out of the booth, "C'mon, Em, we've got to go."

Emily was more than happy to leave.

"Uh," Serena frowned and looked to Abby apologetically, "I have no idea what's gotten into him."

"It's fine," Abby shrugged her shoulders, "I've come to terms with the fact that Emily and I will probably never be friends."

"Never say never," Serena shrugged and nudged James, telling him to pay for the meal while she reached into her purse and pulled out a few extra bucks for a generous tip. She smiled at Abby who seemed to want to refuse the extra cash. "Excellent service," Serena said, "It's all for you. You're the only one in this place who didn't stare at my sister like a total asshole."

She said that last part loud enough for the rest of the diner to hear and they all turned back to their own friends or their food.

Abby took the money and smiled at Serena, "Thanks. This means a lot."

"Just don't screw up little Emily," Serena smiled back, "And we'll call it even."

Abby nodded, "If you ever want to stop by and meet her, I live at the motel across the street."

"Maybe someday," Serena said. She grabbed Terran's carrier and scooted out from the booth with James. She gave Abby a pat on the back as she walked out, "I'm proud of you, Abs. You've really changed for the better."

-Samurai-

Jayden smiled as he lay in bed, his head on Antonio's chest. Even with all the tension between them, one thing Jayden knew could never be destroyed was their friendship. Antonio had hurt him badly. The pain was stronger than anything Jayden had felt in years, possibly since his father had passed away. He was hurting more than Antonio would ever know and "I'm sorry", no matter how sincere it was, would not fix it. But the good thing about Antonio, what Jayden loved most of all, was that Antonio had a kind heart, the biggest heart Jayden had ever seen.

"Kevin's probably stopped chasing you with the tutu," he pointed out. He didn't want Antonio to get up and leave, but he wanted to start a conversation again. Sitting in silence, when there was nothing to do, was starting to get to him. Jayden had been in bed for hours already and needed some form of entertainment.

"I know," Antonio nodded his head and looked down at Jayden, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," Jayden shifted back to his side of the bed and propped himself up on his elbows, "You'd be surprised how much of a hit one person can take inside the Megazords."

"I do pilot one," Antonio chuckled, "By myself. Clawzord? Ring a bell?"

Jayden smirked, "The lion Zord's been my friend since I was a baby. He knows he can be repaired a lot easier than I can. He doesn't have a heart or lungs or all that important stuff. He took that hit for me, and the others Zords protected him. You should be looking after them."

"There is no them without you," Antonio reminded Jayden.

"You just want to keep me here," Jayden said.

"After living alone on the streets for three days? Sue me if I want to cuddle with my amazing boyfriend? You know, the one who took me back even though I know I don't deserve it?"

Jayden nodded his head and looked down at his hands, "I don't think we're ever going to find a safe place to fight if we stick with that," he said, "No apology sounds good enough, but I know you mean it. I know it's more than enough."

"I came back," Antonio said, "I know it took a little convincing, but I am here and it's not against my will."

"You running away hurt," Jayden sighed, "but that's not all. What if something happened to you, Antonio? What if you got hurt and there was no one to help? Out there, you were just as vulnerable as… as…"

"Emily?" Antonio finished his sentence for Jayden. Jayden looked up at the gold Ranger. Under normal circumstances he would have been right behind Mike, getting his turn at beating the shit out of the guy who thought he could put his hands on his little sister, but Antonio running away had practically paralyzed Jayden with fear, keeping him trapped at home. He didn't really know the details of what happened between Emily and Frankie.

"What do you mean?"

"She was rolled up and…" Antonio shook his head, "Never mind. I get what you mean. I was defenseless."

"Trust me, running away is no good," Jayden nodded. He sat up and took Antonio's hands, "Antonio, a huge part of me believed, and still believes, that I don't deserve you. You've done everything for me, and when I went through the scariest and most confusing time of my life, you were my lifeline. You were everything to me and you never asked for anything in return. Nothing. You can come to me for anything, no matter how stupid, or pathetic, or idiotic it is. I'm here to support you."

Antonio smiled and wrapped his arms around Jayden, "I'm sorry I doubted you."

Jayden accepted the hug and held his boyfriend tightly, happy to have him back, but there was still one question on his mind. One question that had been lingering since the very moment Jayden discovered Antonio's disappearance. He pulled away from the gold Ranger and looked him in the eyes.

"Was it something I did?"

Antonio quickly shook his head, "No. It was me, Jay. It was all me. You didn't do anything."

"If I did…"

"Jay, I'm being honest," Antonio smiled, "It was my problem. I should have gone to you. I don't know why I didn't."

"Because you're a big doof," Jayden smirked. He grabbed his pillow and smacked it against Antonio's face. The gold Ranger gasped and reached for the pillow, trying to steal it from Jayden's hands.

-Samurai-

"Emy!"

"Mike!"

Serena and James walked around the park, occasionally checking Serena's Samuraizer for Emily and Mike's signal. They had been led here, but the Samuraizers could never give an exact location, and the park was so big, the younger couple could have still been anywhere.

"They might just need a little time alone," James sighed as Serena checked her Samuraizer again but got the same answer as before. Mike and Emily were still at the park. They were still nearby.

James suddenly got an idea. Emily's face was all over the news. Journalists were milking her story for all it was worth. Somehow, they were trying to link her to the Samurai Rangers and regardless of whatever connection they made, the end results weren't going to be good. Either Emily was helping the Rangers take control of the city by showing the civilians they were powerful and they could do what they wanted, or the reporters were going to reach the truth and discover that Emily was one of the Samurai.

Either way, the story couldn't get out. But there was one advantage. As a man jogged by, James grabbed his arm.

"Have you seen the kid from the news?"

The jogger nodded, "By the pond."

"Thanks," James smiled and turned to Serena with a proud look, "Who's the hero now?"

Serena placed her hands on her hips, "Kid on the news?"

James looked to her curiously, "You didn't know?"

"I'm kind of busy with the little monsters," Serena said and pointed to the stroller, "Her and this stinker. Do you think I watch the news?"

"Internet?" James asked and Serena shook her head.

"No time for that, either."

"Newspaper?"

"What paper boy would bike all the way up to the Shiba House?"

"Magazine covers at the grocery store?"

"How much me-time do you think I get? What part of 'little monsters' did you not understand?"

James pointed, "That guy?"

Serena looked over her shoulder. A man was sitting on a park bench reading a newspaper. Right on the front cover was a picture of Emily. Serena didn't need to read the headlines. She didn't need to see anymore to know this was bad news. She stomped over to the man and ripped the newspaper right out of his hands. She tore it into pieces.

"Hey!"

"You shouldn't listen to rumours."

"I was reading the news," the man got to his feet and glared down at Serena. James hurried over with the stroller, getting between the two of them.

"C'mon, Serena. Remember, when you feel your anger boiling over you need to breathe. Beating people up won't solve your problems."

The man huffed at Serena, picked up what was left of his newspaper and stormed off. Serena spun around and glared at James.

"Why is my sister's face in the paper?"

"She's everywhere," James said. "I thought you knew?"

Serena shook her head, "Why is it everywhere? Isn't it bad enough that one kid was looking her up? Now the city's making her the most Googled name in town?" she rolled her eyes at her comment, but then she saw James' face and she shrieked, "She's the most Googled name in town?"

"I'm assuming," James shrugged. Serena stomped off. Now, more than ever, she was determined to find her sister and get her home. James walked behind her with the stroller, "It makes sense. At the start of the year they looked up the most popular searches in the area and Power Rangers Samurai was one of them. You know how popular they are."

"What do the Samurai have to do with Emily?" Serena asked and glanced up in the trees and peered through bushes, trying to spot her sister wherever she could be hiding.

James walked by a trash can and picked up a paper from inside. He raced in front of Serena and put the paper in her hand, showing her the front cover. She read the headline over Emily's picture.

"Samurai Rangers: City Heroes or City's Biggest Nightmare?" she glared at James. He pointed back to the paper.

"Read right under that?"

"The true story behind the kidnapping. Was she really the victim?" Serena snatched the paper from James' hands and tore it up, "Monsters!"

"Emily hasn't said a word about what happened so the press is taking advantage. This story sells better than just a regular obsessive teen love story. Either Emily's proof the Rangers are a threat, so people are shaking in their boots and want to keep up with the news to stay informed, or they'll get to the bottom of why three Samurai turned up to help her when they've never helped anyone before unless it's been monster related."

"So?"

"At best," James said, "You have the entire city figuring out who Emily is. Doesn't matter if they think she's pink or yellow. If they know, they'll know."

"And at worse?"

"The Samurai Rangers are drunk with power and are a threat that needs to be stopped."

"The Samurai need to be stopped?"

James nodded, "Yeah. But right now, maybe we should focus on Emily and Mike. They've got to be here somewhere."

Serena looked around again. The jogger told her and James that Emily was near the pond. Serena could see the water but she couldn't see her sister or Mike anywhere. Suddenly, she felt herself about to slip. James caught her just in time.

"Careful," he said. Serena looked down to see why she had almost fallen and saw the ground by the pond dipped into a ravine. She smirked and jumped down, right at the shore just at the edge of the water. She turned around and there were Mike and Emily, hiding under the earth. After all the stares in the diner, and possibly the stares here in the park, it was only natural Emily wanted to hide from everyone.

She reached her hand out, "C'mon, Emy. We can have dessert at home."

"They won't stop staring," Emily whispered.

James got down on his hands and knees and poked his head down, looking into the hole.

"Your sister's been turning a few heads while looking for you," he said, "and I don't mean in the good way. Anyone who looks in your direction will be melted by her laser eyes."

"He's right," Serena nodded, "He's not very flattering, but he's right."

"Beautiful laser eyes," James smirked for Serena's sake and then looked back to Mike and Emily, "C'mon, Em, I can show you how I made those ice-cream sandwiches."

"Two cookies and ice-cream," Emily muttered and pulled in closer to Mike to hide, "I'm not coming out."

"After I teach you how to put ice-cream between two cookies, someone's going to have to eat the sandwich before it melts."

"If you don't eat it, I will, Em," Mike said with a smirk and nudged her gently, "You have three seconds before those sandwiches are…"

"Fine," Emily groaned. She didn't want to go home, but she knew eventually she was going to be dragged back, even if it was kicking and screaming. She might as well get an ice-cream sandwich out of it while the offer was still on the table.

Emily crawled out of her hole and James pulled her up from the ravine and onto the grass. As Mike crawled out, he looked at Serena. She was giving him a stern look.

"What?" he asked and got to his feet. He saw Serena looking past him. James and Emily were already starting to walk home with Terran.

"You knew, didn't you?"

"Knew what?"

"The lies."

"James told me at lunch," Mike said, "but I saw some pictures online. I didn't say anything. She lived through it. She doesn't need to be reminded of it."

"Now it's serious," Serena shook her head, "Now it concerns all of us."

Mike sighed and nodded, "This is bad."


	51. The Change Up

The topic was upsetting, but the conversation was exciting.

Since learning the identity of the Rangers, James had thought more and more what it must have been like to be a real Ranger. They were real live superheroes with superpowers, super weapons. Hell, they had even recently been upgraded to Super Samurai. Living the life of a hero, even if he had seen the big downside, had to be an interesting life.

He was happy to be a part of it. Just like all the other Samurai, he was sitting around the table in the common room, part of the conversation. He wasn't just in the room because he was there. He actually had important information for them.

"This is easy enough to fix," Kevin said after James explained why the entire city was staring at Emily. James turned to the blue Ranger in the pink tutu. He didn't know why Kevin was in a tutu, or why Kevin didn't have any other clothes on, but Serena had told him not to question it, so he didn't.

"How is this easy?" Jayden asked.

Kevin shrugged and pointed to Serena, "She morphs into yellow. We make sure the right people see Emily and yellow Ranger as separate people and there you are: the theory that Emily is a Ranger has been disproven."

Serena shook her head, "Mia, stand up, please."

"Why?" Mia asked but she did as she was told. She stood up, side by side with Serena. Both women were nearly the same height.

Serena looked to Kevin, "Yellow Ranger is shorter than pink. Much shorter. Your solution's only good until someone realizes that, finds out we faked it, and then they'll know Emily's a Ranger for sure."

"Serena's got a point," James nodded his head, "They'll notice the height difference, they'll know something's up. Besides, if you disprove the Emily's a Ranger theory, you'll just prove that you Rangers are trying to take over the city. If Emily's not a Ranger, why did you guys go after her?"

"Because we protect the innocent?" Mike said. "We went after Jayden's girlfriend."

"No one knows that," Kevin sighed, "Besides, that was Nighlok related. Dayu and Dekker kidnapped her."

"How do we prove we're not trying to take over the city?" Antonio asked, "I think that's the bigger question. People are starting to be scared of us. It's only a matter of time before they prefer the Nighlok over us."

"We're not trying to kill them," Jayden said. Antonio sighed.

"They'll call in the military to chase us out. They'll come up with their own weapons to stop the Nighlok and they'll try to make us useless. We'll be hunted down, morphed or not, and Emily's going to be the first they go after."

All eyes turned to Emily, who was staring at Antonio like a deer in the headlights.

"Me?"

"Do you really think it's going to get to that point?" Mike asked as he pulled Emily into his arms. "We've been saving this city's ass for more than a year. Without us, they would already be up in flames."

"Flooded," Kevin corrected Mike, "but he's got a point. This city, the rest of the state, and maybe the country would already have been flooded if it weren't for us. They'll have to realize that. They can't hunt us down. They can't chase us out. The Nighlok are stronger than they are."

"They'll try to build weapons," James said, "If they catch you guys, they'll try to take your powers and put them into hands they can trust. Right now, all they know is what Frankie's saying, and he's spewing lies."

"Isn't he insane?" Serena frowned. "He's obsessed with my sister."

"His story is that he and Emily fell in love," James sighed, "You Rangers attacked him and ripped her away. The reporters made up their own reasons why, those reasons are turning into facts and Frankie's not denying anything."

"So unless Emily says something…?"

"Like what?" Jayden said, "She's not a Ranger? The Rangers aren't plotting anything? That's what they want to hear and they know it. They'll think she's covering for us."

"Maybe the Rangers shouldn't have gotten involved," Kevin whispered and looked to Mia.

James shook his head, "Are you kidding? Serena and Mike would have beaten Frankie to a pulp and we would have had another problem on our hands. Two Samurai in jail for murder. I bet you Ji can't bail you out for that."

"Why couldn't you be shorter?" Antonio shook his head then looked to Serena, "At least we would kick one theory in the butt."

"Short doesn't exactly run in my family," Serena frowned. "You met my father. We have no idea what happened with Emily."

"Can't the Ranger suits alter you?" James said.

"If it did, don't you think we'd add more muscle?" Mike said with a smirk, "I'll call myself the Hulk. Then, I would make Kevin short and he would be the Smurf."

"Smurfette," Serena chuckled and she and Mike both earned themselves a glare from Kevin.

"Not funny."

"Hilarious," Mike said. He gave Serena a high five.

"So how do we prove that we're the good guys?" Antonio asked and a silence washed over the room. It was clear no one had an answer.

"You prove it," Ji said as he walked in. "You continue saving the city. You continue doing exactly what you're doing. You Rangers are doing the right thing and eventually the city will understand that."

"And what about Emily being a Ranger?" Serena asked, "We can't let that go on."

"And we won't," Mentor Ji said. He walked over to Emily and held out his hand, "Samuraizer, please."

Emily took her Samuraizer out of her pocket without protest and gave it to Ji. He then took Serena's Samuraizer and switched them.

"But Mentor, the height difference…"

"Avoid standing side by side for now," Mentor Ji interrupted Antonio. "This is the best we can do until someone figures something out."

"Hopefully this will be enough," Jayden said, "We don't need to be hunted down by the Nighlok and the city we're protecting."

"Or the country," Mike said. Emily got up from his lap and started to walk to their room. He watched her leave sadly. This was a huge problem for all of the Rangers, and it started with her. He knew this was affecting her.

"You have a lot of training to do," James looked to Serena, turning the focus back on her. She frowned.

"What? Why?"

"Because you're not you, anymore," James said, "You're Emily. You need to fight like her, talk like her, act like her…"

"James is right," Kevin nodded, "They can't see your face, but you still have to play the part."

"Of Emily?" Serena frowned. "How the hell do I do that?"

"I can help," Mike said, "You and I know her best. Just do what you think is Emily and I'll tell you if you're doing it right or wrong."

"You should all train together," Ji said, "Imitating the way Emily interacts with the team, and getting the rest of you used to treating Serena like Emily on the field will require a lot of practice."

"This sucks," Serena muttered and got up. As she was about to leave a thought hit her, "Oh no…"

"What?"

Serena turned around and glared at Mike, "You and Emily are close on the battlefield. I've seen the fights. I've seen the news."

"Everyone knows green has a thing for yellow," James said. "It's another reason why people think Emily's a Ranger. The green Ranger fought pretty hard for her against Frankie."

"Rule number one:" Serena held up her finger, "No touchy."

"No problem," Mike nodded.

"Rule number two: no touchy."

"Of course."

"Rule number three: no touchy."

"Got it," Mike said, "No worries there, Serena."

"C'mon, guys," Jayden waved the Rangers to the dojo, "We should get started. We'll really need to work hard to figure this out."

James wanted to go with the Rangers and watch them train. He didn't know Emily well enough to direct Serena and the team on how they were treating Serena as Emily, but he knew enough about how the public saw the Rangers.

Then he looked down the hallway and back at the Samurai, "I can keep an eye on Terran."

"Thanks," Serena smiled.

"That'll allow me to go with them," Ji said and gave James a grateful nod. He knew enough about how the Rangers worked together to correct their behaviour.

James picked up the baby monitor as the others disappeared into the dojo. Terran was down for a nap and wouldn't be up for a little while still, so he started down the hall to Emily and Mike's room. He knocked on the door and opened it slowly.

"Em?"

"What?"

He stepped into the room and saw her sitting on her bed, flipped through what looked like an old photo album. He approached the bed and looked down, recognizing a much younger Emily and Serena in the pictures.

"I had a black eye," Emily muttered and pointed to a picture, "I got hit in the face in gym class by a kid who made it look like an accident. Serena covered up the bruise with make-up. You couldn't even see it and you didn't know I was wearing make-up."

"I can't tell," James nodded. He sat down beside Emily, "You feel benched, huh? Not the most exciting thing in the world, is it?"

"Serena was supposed to be here anyways."

"You know, it's only temporary," James said. "Once you get the city back on your side, you'll be the yellow Ranger again."

"Then I'll just screw it up again," Emily rolled up her sleeves and showed James the scratches from Frankie, "This is what Frankie did. I've got a bunch of other scars and burns and bruises from all the other times someone overpowered me. This has happened more than once."

"I know," James nodded. "It freaks your sister out every time."

"I do my part for the team," Emily huffed. She closed the picture book and rested her head on her knees, "I know I do. They would have kicked me off a long time ago for Serena if I didn't."

"Then what's the problem?"

Emily shrugged, "I'm scared it's going to happen again," she looked James in the eye, "I mean, first it was the Nighlok and that's normal. That's what they're trying to do and they're getting stronger. And it does take six of us to take out one of them, so if they get us one on one, it's not embarrassing when we get hurt. But then Frankie…"

"Is just a kid," James nodded in understanding. Emily sighed.

"He's just a kid who won a fight against the yellow Samurai Ranger. When you think about it, he's right up there with the Nighlok. I felt just as vulnerable with his as I did with Dekker or Dayu or Splitface or…"

"Who?"

"He stole my spirit," Emily said. "If I can't even protect myself against Frankie…"

"Don't worry about that, Em."

"It's embarrassing. Humiliating, even, and now everyone's hurt by it and… And what if… what if he tried… I couldn't stop him if I tried…"

James looked to Emily curiously and saw the tears forming in her eyes. He backed away slightly.

"Are you…"

"No," Emily wiped away the tears. She couldn't cry in front of James.

James moved back in closer to her, "Emily, it's okay to be scared and embarrassed. Even the best get duped sometimes. It happens. A student in ninth grade beat me at football! I've been playing football since before he was born and he beat me! That shouldn't happen."

"That's football," Emily said, "And you're getting old."

"Old?" James shook his head and nudged her, "I'm hardly old."

"You're older than Serena."

"Barely."

"Besides," Emily said, "he didn't tie you up in his closet. He wasn't in love with you…"

"Are you scared he could have…?" James looked Emily in the eyes for a quick second before she turned away.

"No."

He wrapped his arm around her, "You're safe now," he promised her, "but if you need a minute, I won't tell anyone."

"You can't tell anyone we talked about this," Emily said, "And this isn't a bonding thing. You're still just the guy my sister's decided to date. Nothing more."

"I won't tell," James said, "You have my word."

Emily gave James a quick smile and then wrapped her arms around him. He pulled her in, hugging her close. It was a little weird for the both of them, but James knew Emily needed the minute.


	52. Two Sisters One Life

Mentor Ji could tell training was going nowhere. Serena was having a hard time turning herself into Emily, as he expected, and the Rangers were having a hard time treating Serena as Emily. They knew the older earth Ranger too well. They had trained with her enough to know how she fought and how they could interact with her to boost the team in not a better direction, but a different and very effective direction from Emily.

Ji shook his head and called the Rangers in. He asked them to take out their Samuraizers and follow him outside. The Rangers did as they were told, but followed a little hesitantly. Rarely did they ever train with their Samuraizers.

Ji stood outside, with the Rangers on the mat, and he asked them to morph. They did as they were told and looked around a little curiously. Mentor Ji pointed to the first dummy and the Rangers started their attacks. Ji had a smile on his face as he watched. The Rangers were used to seeing Serena's face, but they weren't used to anyone but Emily in the Ranger suit. The more they mistakenly used Emily's name, only to realize they were supposed to treat Serena as Emily, the less Ji started to see Serena, the more he started to see Emily, and the real Samurai Rangers.

It was at that point that James walked out and he stood beside Ji. He gave the Rangers a look and smiled at Mentor.

"I think they can pass," he said, "Hopefully people aren't too observant. I'm not sure about the height thing, though."

Ji nodded his head. Even if Serena was keeping her distance from the Rangers it was still obvious she was taller than she was supposed to be. A part of Ji thought maybe it was because he knew the truth, but he couldn't let the Rangers go with that shred of doubt that this plan might not work. If the city was going to be convinced, he needed to be convinced.

"We can't cut Serena off at the knees," he sighed, "and it's not like we know how to make the others taller."

"Vegetables," James shrugged, "Or, we need a better body double for Emily."

Ji shook his head, "Unless you know something I don't, we're not going to find one who can morph. Serena is the only substitute. She is the only person capable of morphing into the yellow Ranger, aside from Emily."

"Uh, I might be wrong about how the power thing works, but couldn't their mother…"

"Their mother, unfortunately, is still too tall."

"You can say it, you know," Emily said as she walked outside and stood between Ji and James. She looked up at the two men, "If everyone's tall, it's just me that's short," she looked out onto the mats where her friends and sister were all training. It didn't look right to her. Something seemed a little off. She grabbed Serena's Samuraizer from her pocket and traced the symbol for rock. She shot one off at her sister, aiming for her head. Serena saw it coming and knocked it aside before it could do damage.

"Emily!" she shouted.

Emily jumped down onto the mats and glared at Serena, "I wouldn't have done that."

"You shouldn't have done that," Serena corrected her and pulled off her helmet, "What do you think this is made out of?"

"Mike should have stopped that," Emily said and turned to Mike, "You always have my back. I wouldn't have seen that coming."

"So now I have to know what you would have or wouldn't have seen?" Serena groaned. Stepping into her sister's shoes was proving to be much harder than she first thought. "Cut me some slack, Emy, I'm not actually you."

"But you have to be," Emily said. "You have to be me and you have to be believable. You and Mike have to fight like Mike and me."

"We're trying, Em," Mike told her, "but it's not easy."

"Yes, it is," Emily took the helmet from Serena's hands and she stuck it back on her sister's head, "This is Emily. Anything that happens to her, happens to me."

Mike turned to look at Serena. He wasn't used to looking at the yellow Ranger right in the visor. Usually he was glancing over the top of her head unless he looked right down. That one difference in the Ranger suit made all the difference for him.

Mentor Ji was now down on the mat and he whispered something to Jayden. The red Ranger looked at him curiously before he shrugged, nodded his head, and traced a symbol. He struck both sisters with the symbol and it seemed like nothing had happened. Ji then walked over to Emily and grabbed her arm, pulling her off the mats. Serena furrowed her brow. She could feel something on her arm, as if someone grabbed her. She looked around, but the others had kept their distance. No one was holding her. She checked her arm again, just to make sure it wasn't a prank.

Suddenly, Jayden came rushing towards her and she hadn't seen his attack coming in time to block it. Serena felt the blow against her chest and fell to her knees. When she looked up at Jayden to question his attack she saw him pointing to the house. She glanced over and saw Emily in a similar position to hers.

"Anything that happens to you, happens to her," Jayden told her, smirking behind the helmet, "If you take a hit in battle, so will Emily. If you die, so does she. Until the symbol wears off, you two are connected."

Kevin nodded his head, "That solves our problem, then."

"Serena's still got to act like Emily, though," Mia said. "It doesn't matter if we try to shield her like we do Emily, if she doesn't act like Emily; no one's going to believe she's Emily."

Serena got up from the ground and turned to her sister, "Alright, Emy, what have I been doing wrong?"

"You're all fight," Emily said, "You fight to fight."

Emily picked up a training sword and jumped back on the mat. The Rangers powered down so no one was at the advantage and Emily took Serena's place.

"You just watch," Emily said, "Watch and learn."


	53. My Sister's Trust

Emily groaned and rubbed her temples. Everyone else at the Shiba House was fast asleep in their beds except for her and Serena. Neither wanted to go to bed until they got this right. Serena needed to be able to fill Emily's shoes. She needed to convince the world she was Emily so they could put an end to all the rumours and stop the city from finding out the real identity of the yellow Ranger, and the others by extension.

But Serena was finding it hard to let go of her usual style. She was beginning to realize she fought like a deadly weapon. Her goal wasn't to protect. It was to destroy.

Jayden's symbol had worn off for now, but he promised to set it back up as soon as the Gap Sensor called them into battle. It didn't matter to Serena or Emily whether the symbol was in use or not, but it helped the others to treat Serena like Emily when they knew that regardless of the body underneath the spandex, Emily was still the one in danger while the yellow Ranger fought.

"We were both trained by mom," Serena grumbled and pierced the dummy's armour with her sword due to her frustration, "How are we so different?"

"Because you're older," Emily said, "When I was born, no one thought I would be here. Mom trained me reluctantly, but she trained you to survive. When you fight to survive, anything goes. You're a killer."

Emily pulled the sword out of the dummy's chest, "I wouldn't do that."

"Would you smack you over the head?" Serena frowned, "Because I really feel like doing that right now."

"No," Emily handed the sword back to her sister, "Do it like I showed you."

"This is hard," Serena shook her head.

"Just do it," Emily sighed. Serena grumbled and held up her sword. She tried to remember what her sister had shown her. She tried to remember the steps and the lessons.

But when she struck the dummy and turned to Emily, she still saw her sister shaking her head. She threw the sword to the ground and grabbed her towel.

"I give up. I'm going to bed," she said and stormed off. Emily stayed on the mat and watched her sister leave. Serena got to the door when she noticed Emily wasn't following her. She turned around, "Emy, c'mon."

"I don't want to let my team down," Emily said. Serena gave her a look.

"Neither do I, but we're getting nowhere."

"I don't want to let my team down," Emily repeated. Serena shot her another look, this time a little angrier.

"I get it, Emily…"

"Are you mad?" Emily asked.

Serena clenched her fists and through gritted teeth she answered, "No."

Emily picked up the sword and walked back over to Serena, "You're not you anymore. You're me. If I had to do something for the team, I would be up all night until I fell over," she put the sword in her sister's hands, "You're me now, so act like it."

"Emily…"

"This team is my family," Emily glared at Serena, "When you were sick, Mia stepped into your shoes and took care of me. When mom ran away, they stayed with me. Every time I trip and fall, they pick me up. When I get hurt in battle, they bandage up the scars. Just when I think I've finally repaid them for everything they've done for me, they do more. That's how you need to fight."

"Em…"

"You fight so you don't let them down. You fight with them, as part of a team and you give them every part of you, no matter what it means," Emily walked back over to the dummy and put his helmet back into place. She gave it a pat on the shoulder and she looked at Serena, "Imagine, it's me against the Nighlok. The others got hurt, or they're off on their own little mission and it's up to me to keep this guy distracted for ten seconds until someone can come and help me. What do I do?"

"You beat him up," Serena said. Emily shook her head.

"That's what needs to be done," she said, "That's what you would do. What would I do?"

Serena looked at her sister for a minute and really focused on what she knew about Emily. It was odd how Emily knew so much about her, the way she fought, the way she reacted, the way she thought, and yet, until this night, Serena had no clue how Emily worked. She had never realized it before, but all the things she knew about Emily were very little compared to just how well Emily knew her.

But Emily had been giving her lessons all night. The answer Serena was looking for was staring her right in the face. Emily was nothing like Serena. She had tried and failed to be Serena and had to figure herself out.

Serena stared at the dummy. She would take it out, but Emily wouldn't. Emily would wait for her friends. Emily would let them help her take it out. She always preferred to take a step back. Unless she was the last line of defence, she wasn't the one delivering the final punch.

"Fight me," Emily said and picked up a sword. From where she was standing next to the dummy, she charged her sister and Serena blocked her attacks. This was the first time Serena had ever seen her sister fight to kill when it wasn't needed. Of course, it was still training, and there was no real danger, but it did occur to Serena what she was trying do to.

Emily didn't fight to kill unless it was needed. If the other Rangers were able to get up and fight, Emily would protect them until they were back on their feet and ready.

For ten seconds, Serena blocked all her sister's attacks. At the end of her time, Serena was suddenly knocked off her feet by an attack she wasn't expecting, an Emily's sword came down, stopping inches from her nose. Emily smirked.

"Cue Mike," she said.

Serena looked up at her sister. She finally understood what she had to do and felt a little more confident going into the next battle, but something about it disturbed her.

"Can I stop being you for a bit?" she asked Emily. The younger yellow Ranger nodded. Serena smirked, "Good."

She jumped to her feet and swung her sword at Emily, striking her in the arms, the ribs, and finally the knees and she stopped short of bringing the sword down on Emily's head, which, if she had, would have sent Emily into a long coma. Emily groaned as she lay on the ground in pain.

"Ow."

"Mike's not here to help," Serena said, "Your team can't help you. They're off on their own missions, or they're too injured to fight, or they just can't help. It's good you believe in them, Emy, but on the battle field, the only thing you can really count on is yourself. Mom taught you that day one."

Emily tried to get back up, but Serena grabbed her and pushed her back down. She held the training sword over Emily's chest.

"Dekker was right," Serena said, "You're protected. It's not your fault, but it's up to you to really put an end to it. Xandred doesn't care if you're the little sister. If that does mean anything to him, it'll mean you're weak. He'll go after you first, he'll take you out, and he'll make sure you have no one to help you when he does it."

Serena lifted the sword, giving Emily an opportunity to get up and run, "You have ten seconds to figure out what you'll need to do. The others are all sleeping; they won't be able to help you. If they do wake up, and they do see me coming after you, no one's going to think I'm going to try and hurt you. They won't know you're actually in trouble until it's too late."

"What?"

Serena shook her head and gestured to Emily's sword, telling her to pick it up, "Ten, nine, eight…"

"You wouldn't…"

"Five, four, three…"

"Serena…"

"One," Serena attacked, pulling back a bit with her power as she did. She didn't actually want to harm her sister, but now she knew she had something to work on with Emily: trust. Emily's trust had gotten her into a lot of trouble before. Most recently, her trust had gotten her into trouble with Frankie, and if Serena didn't help Emily overcome her ability to blindly trust in anything that gave her a quick smile, she would get herself into real trouble.

Emily screamed as she hit the mat. Lights, right away, turned on in the Shiba House and Serena knew the others would be coming to see what happened.

She knelt down beside Emily, "There are four things in this world that you can trust in completely, Emily," she said, "You can trust in Mike. He's never going to let you down. You can trust in the other Rangers because they do, without a doubt, have your back. You can trust in me because no matter what happens, you're my sister and there's nothing I won't do for you."

"Emily!" Mia cried. She and Kevin were the first to reach the door and they saw Emily lying on the mat. As they hurried over to check up on her, Serena leaned in closer.

"And the one thing you can trust, more than Mike, more than the others, and more than me, is the fact that there is nothing on this Earth that you can trust in completely."

As Mia and Kevin came to Emily's side, Serena got up.

"I'll get her some ice," she said and as she walked away, she felt a mixture of guilt and satisfaction. She hated how she had hurt her sister, and hated how she was trying to break the one thing Emily possessed that was so hard to come by in most people, but she was happy she could teach her sister another lesson, a lesson that would, hopefully, keep her alive to fight another battle and eventually win the war.

But Emily had taught her something too. Since birth, Emily had been protected by her mother, her father, and even Serena. When she left home, she came to the Shiba House and made a new nest and surrounded herself with more people who would protect her. They had earned her trust and so far, they had kept it. Emily was right; they would always be there for her. They were always there for each other, no matter what.

Serena knew her friends had her back, but ultimately, she knew she was alone. She didn't have the trust Emily did.

The one thing they both needed to do now was find the line. They had both crossed it in different directions and were going to need each other to reel themselves back in. Back to a safe middle ground.


	54. Ready For The Real Test

Mike and Mia returned from their morning walk with Scruffy. Normally, Emily would have taken her own dog for a walk, but after training with Serena the night before and taking a hit to her knee, Mentor suggested Emily stay off her feet for a little while. It was perfect timing, as Serena was supposed to take her place as Ranger anyways. Emily had the next few days off to do whatever she wanted, as long as she made a public appearing while the Rangers were off fighting a Nighlok. The plan to switch Serena for Emily wouldn't work unless Emily was seen by many while at the same time the yellow Ranger was in another part of town.

After such a long walk, Mike did as he always did. He poured Scruffy some water and then filled up a bowl of his food. The weather was warming up now with spring right around the corner, and after keeping Scruffy inside all winter, the least they could do for him now was let him play in the yard. A bowl of water and some food was all he needed for hours of playtime.

Mike and Mia then headed inside and saw Emily sitting in the common room watching TV. The volume was turned down too low to hear properly. On his stool, Kevin was reading, studying the art of the Samurai (again).

Across the hall, in the dojo, Antonio and Mentor were whispering to each other. Antonio had the Light Zord and his morpher in his hand while Mentor kept flipping through the pages of a book. Since he had run off and caused so much trouble, Antonio felt he had to do something to make it up to the team. The Nighlok were getting stronger and instead of doing all he could, he had run away, making them more vulnerable. He wanted to fix that. He wanted to give the Rangers another boost and when he shared those thoughts with Jayden, the red Ranger directed him over to Mentor, sure the older man had some weapon stashed away that Antonio could work on. He had brought the Black Box and the Light Zord to life already. It seemed there was no task Antonio couldn't handle.

As always, when Antonio worked he liked to have a bowl of food to snack on. It kept his stomach from distracting him and eating became a part of the project. It was programmed into Antonio to take a bite of something every few minutes to keep away his hunger.

Serena was outside training with Jayden, working on becoming Emily. Kevin was reading a book, paying no attention to his friends around him. Emily was bored out of her mind and Mike knew how to fix it. Antonio's bowl of trail mix was almost emptied so he tip-toed over and filled the bowl back up with Scruffy's kibble. He set the bowl down and Antonio reached for another handful. He stuffed it in his mouth and chew, so distracted by Mentor and his project he had no idea what he was eating.

Mike did all he could to hold back his laugh as he turned to Mia and Emily, who had seen him pour the bowl. They too were trying not to laugh.

Mike turned to walk away. He had done all he needed to do and could rest easy knowing his plan had worked.

"Antonio," he heard Mentor say to the gold Ranger, "I think we should go fishing now."

There was no protest from Antonio. Though his fear of fish was still somewhat active, the gold Ranger understood he needed to get right back into his routine. He started to pack up his stuff while Mentor grabbed the bowl of dog food and turned to Mike, who hadn't gotten the chance to go far.

"Hey, Mike," Ji called and he held out the bowl. Mike gave the girls a look, knowing he had been caught. Thinking he was turning around for an embarrassing lecture, he looked to Ji. He saw the outstretched hand and the bowl and his stomach turned, "Have some," Ji insisted with a slight shake of the bowl.

Mike knew he couldn't say no. He was always hungry and always looking for a snack. If he refused to take some food now, everyone who didn't know about the prank would think he was sick – really sick. So he reached into the bowl, pulled out a single kibble and stuck it in his mouth. As he chewed, two thoughts crossed his mind. The first being that they actually fed Scruffy this stuff and they needed to give him a more exciting diet, and the other being that they actually fed Scruffy this stuff and he was eating it.

As Antonio hurried around the house to collect his fishing cart and gear, Mike and Mia joined Emily and Kevin in the common room. Mike swallowed the dog food in his mouth and stuck out his tongue. He knew he made a funny face as he did so because Emily started to laugh.

"That'll teach you to mess around when Mentor's nearby."

"He couldn't play along," Mike frowned and rubbed his finger on his tongue to get out the bad taste, "What is this stuff made of?"

Mia held up the bag and read off the list of ingredients. Mike felt himself getting sicker and sicker as he replayed the moment where he actually had to eat the dog food.

"Just be happy that's not the wet food," Emily smirked. Mike turned green and got up.

"Excuse me."

Kevin shook his head and went back to reading his book while Mia approached Emily and lifted the bag of peas from her knee. It had been badly swollen and badly bruised the night before, but this morning it was showing some signs of healing.

"How does it feel?"

"Cold," Emily giggled, "Frozen numb so I don't know."

Mia removed the peas, "Maybe we should give it a little break. We'll let this freeze again."

As she carried the peas into the kitchen, Kevin glanced up from his book and turned to Emily. Accidents happened in training. This wasn't the first time a Ranger was hurt and instructed to stay off their feet for the day, and it wasn't going to be the last. No questions had been asked about what happened because it was fairly obvious, but in the light of day, the bruise on Emily's knee seemed worst to Kevin than what he thought it would look like, simply because he didn't expect something so painful for Emily to come from Serena.

He set his book down, "What exactly happened?"

Emily looked down at her knee. She knew what happened. Serena wanted to teach her that trust was never a guarantee; that the only thing she could trust was that there was nothing on Earth that could be trusted. The words spun around in her head as she tried to make sense of them.

"You know how lessons get when people get tired," she said and Mia returned with a brace to put around her knee. Emily looked to Kevin as Mia put the brace into place, "Accidents happen."

Kevin stared into Emily's eyes for a minute, trying to find the lie but there was none. Emily was sure Serena hadn't meant to hurt her this badly and could honestly call her injury an accident. The rest of the night wasn't anything Kevin needed to know. It was a lesson for the sisters.

"Okay," Kevin got up, "I'll get started on some lunch. Something tells me Antonio and Mentor aren't going to be back with fish, and if they are, it's going to be a while."

-Samurai-

Outside on the mats, Jayden was watching and helping Serena train. There was a big improvement on Serena's part, but Jayden felt she wasn't there yet. He still wasn't getting an Emily vibe from Serena. He thought maybe it was enough to fool the city, but there was no room for error with this plan. All the Rangers were in danger with the two theories circling around. For now, there was nothing they could do about the city's beliefs that the Rangers were taking over, but if they could distance Emily from the Rangers, they were at least a little safer. It would be hard tracking down the Power Rangers if no one knew who they were unless they were morphed and powered up.

He looked Serena in the eyes, "If you can't do this, the next time Emily goes out in public, what do you think is going to happen to her? If the city catches onto out plan and realizes we're trying to cover for her, they're going to know she's connected to us in some way."

"Pissing me off is not going to get me to behave like Emily," Serena muttered. "Besides, with that knee of hers, she's not going anywhere."

"She'll be in the city for the next attack," Jayden said and Serena narrowed her eyes at him, glaring hatefully. It was dangerous to be in the city during an attack. The Rangers knew to steer clear because the Moogers and Nighlok could turn up anywhere and the Rangers could only spread themselves out so far.

"You're keeping her here," Serena shook her head, "With Mentor and Terran where she'll be…"

"What the point of switching you and Emily if Emily's not somewhere she can be seen by crowds while the yellow Ranger's fighting monsters?" Jayden asked and Serena knew he had a point. The whole point of the plan was to get Emily in the city during an attack.

Still, Serena knew this was dangerous, "the Nighlok know who Emily is. The Moogers too. And Xandred. If they see her alone…"

"Then you better be very convincing," Jayden said. He morphed and Serena did the same. He pulled out his Spin Sword, "Fight me, Em."

Serena looked at Jayden and she knew what she had to do. She forgot everything her mother taught her and everything she taught herself. She ignored her instincts, her desire to tear apart her opponents before they could get to the people she cared about.

She fought like Emily, blocking Jayden's attacks and hitting him with only enough power to stop him from killing her. Jayden's attacks wouldn't cease. He was fighting to win and nothing was enough to stop him.

He struck Serena across the chest and she fell onto her back. She was powered down and staring up at Jayden as he prepared the attack that would finish her off.

At this point, Serena would do anything she could to survive and for her, that meant instantly turning the tables on Jayden and surprising him with an attack he didn't seem coming.

But she was Emily and Emily would have done something completely different.

"Stop it!" she screamed and rolled onto her stomach. She pushed herself up to run away and then heard metal hitting metal. Someone had stopped Jayden's attack and she turned and found Mike standing protectively in front of her as the green Ranger. He disarmed Jayden and then turned around.

"Sorry," he lowered his head slightly, "I couldn't help it. I saw you two training from inside and forgot it was you, Serena."

Jayden powered down and looked to Serena with a smirk, "You fooled Mike."

"I'm not morphed," Serena looked down at herself.

"You're both blonde," Mike shrugged his shoulders, "You were acting just like her. I got fooled for a minute."

"I think we're ready," Jayden smiled.

Mike powered down and looked Serena in the eye, "Think you'll be able to pull it off? Being Emily, I mean?"

Just as Serena nodded her head the Gap Sensor started to blare loudly. Kevin and Mia hurried outside onto the mat and Emily came out soon after them, leaning on crutches Kevin had made out of symbol power. She looked to the Rangers on the mats.

"Ji and Antonio are both gone," she said, "Terran can't stay home alone."

"There's some money in my bag," Serena told Emily, "Go to the diner."

"The diner?" Emily asked, hoping Serena didn't mean the one where Abby worked. She looked at her sister and Serena nodded her head.

"Where we went on the double date. Where everyone was staring at you."

"Serena…"

"Abby will stay with you."

"Abby?" Emily shrieked. Serena nodded her head and started to run off.

"Trust me, Emy."

"But you said…"

"Do it!" Serena shouted and ran off with the others, "And don't leave the public eye until we come to get you!" They couldn't waste any more time, unsure of what exactly was waiting for them that caused the Gap Sensor to go off. Emily saw them leave and then turned around. She made her way to Serena's bedroom and picked up Terran from the crib. To carry him into his stroller, Emily had to ditch the crutches and limp.

"You didn't have to hit me so hard," Emily muttered as she laid Terran in his stroller and started to walk for the door. She could use the stroller as a sort-of-crutch while she walked. "It's going to be a long way to the stupid diner."

She closed the Shiba House doors and turned around. Her first obstacle was getting down the stairs and onto the path with her bruised knee, and a stroller with a baby inside it.

"Stupid…" she muttered again. The stroller was durable, Emily knew that much, so she lifted Terran out of it and pushed it down the stairs. She watched it tumble until it hit the ground and landed on its side. It was the only way she could think of getting the stroller down.

She held Terran in her arms and lowered herself down on her butt, slipping down the stairs like a child.

"Where did Mentor and Antonio go anyways?" she asked as she got to the ground and straightened out the stroller. She put Terran inside and started on her way, "Did he lose his Samuraizer again? Shouldn't Mentor be home by now?"

She looked at Terran who was staring up at her with a smile, happy he was going on a walk. Emily shook her head, "What do you know?"


	55. Search for Mentor and Antonio

At first the diner didn't notice Emily. With the Rangers in another part of town, and cameras catching their every move, everyone's eyes were glued to the screen of the television in the corner of the room. It wasn't very big, but it showed enough.

Emily glanced around the restaurant and she hoped that, for some strange reason, Abby was working. She didn't trust her reformed torturer, but she seemed to have nowhere else to turn.

She walked up to the counter, pushing the stroller with Terran inside. He had fallen asleep back in the forest where the uneven ground had rocked him to sleep and he was still out of it. Emily smiled as she took a seat on the barstool and looked down at his sleeping face. She stroked his cheek gently with her finger.

"We better hope this works," she whispered to him as a man walked over to her. He was about to ask her if she was going to order something when he dropped his pen and notepad.

"Ranger girl," Emily heard him whisper and she looked up. In a moment, the entire restaurant was staring at her and she knew what they were thinking. It was the same thing the rest of the city was thinking. They wanted to know for sure if she had anything to do with the Rangers.

"Emily?" she heard another voice ask, this one familiar and haunting. She turned around and saw Abby coming out of the kitchen, staring at her in shock.

"Serena told me to hide here," Emily said, quickly coming up with a lie that hopefully everyone could believe. She tried to stick to the truth as much as possible.

"From the attacks?" Abby asked and pointed to the screen. This seemed to remind everyone that the Rangers were on TV and they all turned and gasped. It wasn't possible. The yellow Ranger was on the screen live on the other side of the town, walking through a field trying to search for the monsters that had drawn them out of hiding.

"There's no way," someone muttered.

"Gold," someone else said, "Where is gold…?"

"Gold isn't a girl," a third person pointed out. "Why would only two girls get a skirt and the third be left out?"

"That doesn't mean she's not working with the Rangers," a fourth added and all eyes turned back on Emily, "You know what they're up to. You know the message they were trying to send through your boyfriend."

"Emily," Abby whispered and leaned over the counter so she was closer to Emily, "Frankie wasn't your boyfriend, was he?"

Emily shook her head, "He kidnapped me."

"You set him up!" someone cried. "You're working with the Rangers!"

Abby untied her apron and threw it off as the clock above the counter chimed, marking the end of her shift. Free to leave without punishment from her boss (because she did need this job), she grabbed Emily's arm.

"C'mon," she said, making sure she grabbed the stroller as she pulled Emily out of the diner.

"I can't leave public eye," Emily told Abby as she was led down the street to a motel. Right at the edge of the parking lot Abby stopped and turned around. She looked Emily in the eye.

"Why?"

"Serena's scared for me," Emily answered. She couldn't give away too much, "You know the rumours about me. If I'm not a Ranger, why would they save me?"

"Why did they save you?" Abby asked.

"I don't know," Emily shook her head, "One minute I thought Frankie was going to win, the next, the Rangers show up."

"Where is Serena?"

"She was…" Emily didn't know what to say until she looked down at Terran, "She's out for the day. I got stuck babysitting."

"Why did she say you can't leave public eye?"

"In case the Rangers show up," Emily said, "It's the only way I can prove I'm not the yellow Ranger."

"I doubt the yellow Ranger can fight with a busted knee," Abby pointed down to Emily's knee, "but it'll probably take more than that to prove to the entire city that you're not who they think you are."

"I don't know the Rangers," Emily said and she hoped Abby couldn't see through her lies like she always used to. "I'm not one of them and I don't know why they helped me, but why wouldn't they? They save the world? They save us every day, right?"

"Power corrupts," Abby shrugged her shoulders and then grabbed Emily's arms, "I'm going to be honest, I'm not sure what's going on, but I promise I'll help."

"You will?" Emily asked and Abby nodded.

"I owe you that much. Besides, the fact that you're here now, and the yellow Ranger is somewhere out there proves that you're not her," Abby took Emily's arm with one hand, and the stroller with the other, "but first, come with me."

"Where?"

"The bank," Abby said, "If I'm going to help you, I've got to pay the sitter overtime. I'll need some money. After that, we'll have to stop by the grocery store."

"During an attack?" Emily shrieked. She knew it wasn't safe to walk around town during a Nighlok or Mooger attack. Even the furthest points from the battle were in danger of becoming targets. The Nighlok were getting stronger and if they went into Mega Mode, the Rangers would have to as well. As little damage to the city as possible was usually the goal for the Rangers while in the Megazord cockpit, but above that was the defeat of the Nighlok. If that meant taking down a few buildings, it needed to be done.

"You need to stay in the public eye," Abby nodded.

"Who's going to be getting groceries or money during an attack?"

"No one," Abby said, "but there will be cameras. There are cameras everywhere. There are cameras following the Rangers and cameras here in the city. You'll be spotted on several while the yellow Ranger will be spotted on others."

"Do you think that'll work?"

Abby nodded her head, "Positive."

-Samurai-

Serena could see them: camera men, reporters, helicopters. The Moogers had drawn their attention to this place, and now they were staying to spy on the Rangers. With so many rumours about them circulating, the press wanted anything and everything they could get.

Fortunately, Jayden had already done the symbol to connect Serena and Emily so reporters wouldn't assume there was anything suspicious going on. As long as she kept up the act that she was the yellow Ranger the city was used to and Emily stayed in the public eye, the plan would work.

The Rangers searched the field. There had been Moogers there before they arrived, but now they were all gone and there was no sign of them.

"Maybe they realized they were just going to get their asses kicked," Mike shrugged his shoulders, "and saved us the trouble."

"There's something fishy going on here," Jayden wrinkled his nose behind his helmet and that was when he picked up the smell. Fish. He turned to the rest of his team, "Where's Gold?"

He refused to use names at this point. Anything information he gave to the reporters and cameras that were watching him was information they could use against them.

"He should be on his way," Mia replied.

"Or not," Kevin said as he walked back over to the group, carrying the Light Zord in his hands. "Some reporter got his hands on this. He was trying to get away with it."

Mike took the Light Zord from Kevin's hands and he remembered Mentor and Antonio leaving the Shiba House to work on it in private after he had interrupted them with his prank. His heart sank a little.

"This is my fault," he said, "If I hadn't of been messing around, they wouldn't have come here."

"You shouldn't blame yourself," Serena put her hand on Mike's shoulder and for a minute he had to remind himself she wasn't Emily. She was strangely good at the imitation. All the practice seemed to be paying off. Still, to keep up the act he had to wrap his arm around her, like he would Emily. It was weird, but at least with the symbol in place he was comforted by the thought that maybe Emily would feel and recognize his touch.

"We need to find them," Jayden said and for the cameras he had to remain as vague as possible even though he wanted to scream out Ji and Antonio's names and hope they were close enough to answer. But he had to stay strong. If Ji and Antonio had been taken then they had nothing to hide their identities. Not even the Moogers were dumb enough to keep Antonio morphed and Mentor didn't have a Ranger suit.

"Over here," Mia called and waved the team to where she was standing. She reached down into the grass and picked up a fishing spool that had been unwound, creating a trail, "Maybe this can help us out."

"The earth," Serena whispered and made her way forward. The others noticed the cameras were following her the closest. She was really going to have to keep up the act if she wanted to fool them. All eyes were on her.

"What?" Mike asked but Serena didn't hear him. She was too focused. There was something about the field was seemed strange to her.

There was a big, heavy boulder in the middle of the field, and to nearly everyone there was nothing wrong with it. Rocks were just as much a part of nature as the grass, the earth, and the trees. But Serena was more in tune with the earth than most. Growing up on a farm where she had worked with the Earth helped her quite a bit with her connection to nature, but her Samurai Element, her yellow Ranger bloodline gave her a closer connection.

"Symbol Power," she cried out, tracing a symbol in the air, "Stone!"

Instead of creating stones, Serena focused her power on the boulder before her and it started to lift. She got it off the ground, revealing a staircase that led down to a tunnel. She had no idea how the Moogers had moved the boulder themselves, but she knew they had done it to keep the Rangers from following them.

She pushed the heavy until it was away from the stairs and dropped it while she fell to her knees, already exhausted. When she looked up she saw Mike and Mia holding their hands out to help her up. Knowing Emily would take their help without a single argument; she let them pull her up and leaned on them for support as they walked down the stairs.

"Of course the fishing rod leads to a creepy tunnel," Mia muttered as the Rangers reached the door.

"Hey," Mike shrugged his shoulders, "it'll get the paparazzi off our backs."

"We should go now," Kevin said as he brought up the rear, "All the reporters are fascinated by what Se…"

"Yellow," Jayden cut him off, "They're impressed with what you did, yellow. They'll be trying to come up with ways to work that into their report. That'll distract us long enough to get them off our backs."

"But if I'm out of sight," Serena looked back up the stairs, "I can't leave the cameras."

"There's a good twenty minutes of you on camera," Mike assured her, "Surely Em's been seen somewhere by now."

"We can only hope," Jayden nodded, "We'll need you, Yellow."

Serena sighed and reluctantly followed the other Rangers into the tunnel. It was man-made, but that just made it creepier.

They followed the fishing line down the tunnel until they reached the very end. The line had been cut as the end was slightly frayed. Jayden dropped the fishing line from his hand and instantly pulled out his Spin Sword as snarls, Mooger snarls, echoed in the cave.

-Samurai-

When Antonio came to, he found himself sitting upright. It took him a moment to realize where he was and what happened to him, but he eventually remembered the last thing he saw. Moogers and a cloud of smoke.

His head was sore and when he tried to move his hands to rub his forehead he realized they were tied behind his back. His entire upper body was tied tightly and when Antonio looked up to see what, he saw it was a pole. The Moogers had grabbed him and left him here, tied to a pole, completely vulnerable.

"Great," he muttered and tried to reach for his pocket, hoping he still had his Samuraizer on him.

"The more you move, the tighter the knots get," he heard Mentor Ji telling him and froze. He hadn't been alone when he had been ambushed. He had been working on the Light Zord with Ji, trying to come up with a new weapon to help his friends and make up for his mistake.

"Mentor?"

"Are you alright?" Ji asked and Antonio nodded his head.

"A little sore. You?"

"I'm fine, but the Rangers won't be."

Antonio looked over his shoulder questioningly before he caught a glance at what surrounded him. Hundreds, maybe even close to a thousand Moogers were keeping guard around him and Mentor Ji while an ugly looking Nighlok paced back and forth.

"What's going on?" he asked Mentor.

Ji sighed, "It's a trap. The Nighlok's name is Eyescar. He's using us to lure the Rangers in."

"We're bait?" Antonio frowned and then he shook his head, "It's not going to work. The Rangers are smarter than this."

It was Ji's turn to look over his shoulder questioningly, "What are you talking about?"

"You're not used to being out in battle," Antonio smirked, "There's always hope."

Antonio looked down. His hands were behind his back, but he could feel there was something missing.

"I accidentally dropped my fishing spool," he said. While working on the Light Zord he had been spinning the spool mindlessly. It was something he did when he was thinking hard, just like snacking. It kept his hands busy while his brain was at work. Another smirk crossed his face, "I wonder is someone named Jayden will find it."

On his side of the pole, Mentor Ji smirked as well, "This time, you've surprised even me, Antonio."

-Samurai-

Down in the tunnel, the Moogers had appeared seemingly from nowhere and ambushed the Rangers. Fortunately, the Samurai had heard their snarls and had met them with force.

But for every one Mooger that fell, it seemed a dozen more appeared.

"Lighty's been drop kicked!" Serena heard Mike call out and she saw the lantern soar through the air as a result of being kicked by a Mooger. Thankfully, none of the Moogers seemed interested in the lantern at all, unaware just how deadly a weapon it was.

"I can't reach him," Kevin called back; "There are too many Moogers."

"Let me… ARG!" Serena fell to her knees. Since Jayden had cast his symbol she had felt a pain in her knee from Emily's bruise but had been able to ignore it up until now. She knew there was nothing wrong with her own knee and the pain was all in her head, but something, suddenly, caused the pain to worsen. Not for long, but just long enough to take her out and give the Moogers and opening. There were so many of them, and the space inside the tunnel was so confined that when Serena fell to the ground, there was no way to avoid being kicked around, just like the Light Zord.

"Serena!" Mike called her name, knowing there was no cameras nearby to record him. Forgetting the Light Zord, he fought harder than he had been moments before and wiped out the Moogers in her area. He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her up to her feet. "You okay?"

"Dizzy," Serena answered and held her head.

"Got it!" they both heard Kevin call out and suddenly he popped a disk out of the light Zord. It went shooting right at Jayden who caught it with the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly he powered up. He was wearing a jacket, almost like the one the Rangers wore when they used the Black Box, but this one was noticeably different. Instead of white, it was a shining red, and in his hands, Jayden was holding a sword that appeared to be in the shape of a shark.

"Antonio was working on something," Jayden smirked, "Looks like he got far enough for us to use it."

"Perfect timing too," Mia nodded her head, "Let's see what this disk can do."


	56. Getting Them Home

It had been a couple of hours since Antonio had woken up. He hadn't given up hope that his friends and Jayden were coming for him and Mentor, but he was starting to get impatient. The ropes didn't allow for much movement and he was starting to feel very sore.

"You know," he heard Ji say and breathed a sigh of relief. They hadn't spoken in a while and anything Antonio could use as a distraction was welcomed, "When you first came back, I thought you were trouble. As a boy, you were a huge distraction to Jayden. He had a job to do, and you stopped him from doing it."

Antonio nodded his head and smirked, "We had fun. Those were good times."

Ji smiled, "I'm glad to say I was wrong."

Antonio blinked. Had those words really just come out of Mentor's mouth or was he imagining it? Perhaps it was the heat of the sun, or the fact that Antonio hadn't had anything to eat or drink in hours.

"You are?"

"Yes. You deserve your spot on the team. The Rangers, Jayden especially, wouldn't be here without you."

"I can't take all the credit," Antonio said with a laugh, "I'm one of six."

There was a brief silence between the two and Antonio turned slightly. He couldn't see Mentor Ji at all, but the movement was enough to alert Ji that Antonio was about to speak.

"I wouldn't be on the team if you didn't believe in me a little," he said, "So, just in case we don't make it out of this, thank you for putting up with me and believing in me. You're a tough guy, Mentor. But we wouldn't be here without you, either."

Suddenly, a loud whirring sound burst through the air and Ji and Antonio both looked up. They recognized the Battlewing immediately and smiled. Shots were being fired against the Moogers, but were strategically only being fired at a safe distance from Antonio and Ji.

The other Rangers, everyone except Jayden, appeared on the ground on foot to deal with the Moogers and the Nighlok closest to Antonio and Mentor Ji. Mia was the first to reach them and cut through their ropes with her sword. Kevin grabbed Antonio's Samurai Morpher from the Nighlok and tossed it over to Antonio. He morphed immediately, grinning ear to ear.

Jayden jumped down from the Battlewing when the Moogers were gone. The Zord action in the sky had caught the attention of the reporters and the camera men and they were on their way. He signalled for Ji to hide and then looked around at the other Samurai. They were morphed and their identities were hidden.

The Rangers did their role call and Jayden knew it was up to him to finish. He stood tall and proud before the Nighlok; he was more than ready to finish him off. The Nighlok had kidnapped the two people Jayden cared about most. He couldn't show emotion when the cameras were up, and they were due any second, but he could kick ass without raising any suspicion at all.

"Red Ranger: ready," he held out his Spin Sword, still sporting the Shark Theme from the Light Zord disk, "Let's finish these guys."

-Samurai-

Abby was sitting in a chair, facing the TV in the room and watching what the news managed to catch of the battle happening in the valley just outside town. The Rangers, all six of them, were on the screen, fighting against the monsters that time and time again threatened the city.

She could understand where the city was coming from. The Rangers had powerful weapons and they seemed to be getting stronger and stronger, especially recently. If they wanted to, they could overtake the city and do as they pleased. But a strong feeling inside Abby told her this wasn't the case. The city was overreacting to Emily's rescue.

She kept her eyes focused on the yellow Ranger, though. The suspicions had started there. Either the girl who had been rescued, Emily, was the yellow Ranger, or she was working closely with the Rangers. Now, Abby was sure it was impossible that Emily was the yellow Ranger. She had been with Emily, by her side constantly since Emily appeared in the diner. But there was still something off.

Since Emily had accidently bumped her knee one the side of the stroller, there had been something weird going on. She had been having dizzy spells and pains and several times she had nearly lost consciousness. Emily tried to assure Abby she was okay, but when a dizzy spell nearly caused Emily to trip off the sidewalk and into traffic, Abby couldn't take any more risks. She took Emily to the hospital.

Emily's pain continued and her face twitched and muscles tensed when the pain started up. Abby was starting to notice that they matched up with whenever the yellow Ranger was hit in battle.

"How long do those stupid tests take?" Emily muttered as she laid in the hospital bed. She hated this building with a passion and wanted to get out.

Abby just stared at the screen, "You know what's funny?"

"Nothing," Emily shook her head.

"Your favourite colour's always been yellow," Abby turned to the bed and looked at Emily. She saw Emily was giving her a strange look and shrugged, "Hey, it's not easy being a bully. I have to get to know you if I want to pick on you."

"Why is that funny?" Emily asked.

"Because now people think you're the yellow Ranger."

"I'm not," Emily insisted and she pointed to the TV, "I'm here with you. How can I be there too?"

"Magic?"

"They're Samurai, not magicians," Emily rolled her eyes and then looked at Abby, "Look, the Rangers saved me once, okay, but it's not a big deal."

"Twice," Abby reminded Emily.

"Whatever."

"You hurt when the yellow Ranger gets hurt."

"They saved me," Emily said, "I owe them. I know they're people under those suits, just like you and me and they're being attacked by these monsters. Targeted, even. I'm sure they don't appreciate all these rumours, and I'm sure they aren't helping."

Abby nodded her head, "I guess we all owe them."

"OW!" Emily suddenly shouted and Abby jumped up from her chair. Emily's cry had pulled her attention away from the TV completely and she failed to see the yellow Ranger taking another hit in battle. Emily was really starting to appreciate just how well the Ranger suits and adrenaline did their jobs. Serena was taking no more hits than normal, but outside of battle the injuries seemed much more painful.

Abby took her hand, worry coursing through her veins, "Emily? Are you okay?"

Emily forced herself to nod her head but Abby could see right through this lie. Without letting go of Emily she took a seat back on her chair. She stroked the back of Emily's hand gently.

"The doctors will come back with an answer," Abby promised. Emily knew it wasn't true. Her pain wasn't her own so there was no reason for it but she still looked to Abby and nodded.

"Why are you being so nice? I'm only here because the rest of the city wants to take me in for questioning. I still hate you."

"You probably always will," Abby nodded and then gently squeezed Emily's hand, "I get it if for you I'll always be the bitch who tortured you but I am a different person and it's thanks to you and Serena."

On the TV and from the corner of her eye, Emily saw Serena take another hit and she felt it instantly across her chest. She cried out in pain. Abby stood up again and stood over Emily, keeping her calm until the pain ceased while reaching to the button to call in the nurse.

-Samurai-

The Rangers couldn't power down at the end of the fight. Not with so many cameras watching, so they slipped out of sight and disappeared from where the reporters could find them until they made it beyond the Gates of the Shiba House where it was safe to power down.

They all fell to their knees. Eyescar, the Nighlok, hadn't been much of a problem, but there had been so many Moogers the Rangers were exhausted.

Jayden reached his arm out and wrapped it around Antonio. He pulled the gold Ranger in for a hug.

"You're okay."

"Sorry," Antonio whispered and returned to gesture, "I guess that makes twice I disappear."

"You're lucky this time," Jayden nodded, "The cameras kept me distracted. I was worried, but I couldn't lose my mind again."

"Thank God, too," Serena muttered as she remembered comforting Jayden when Antonio had disappeared the first time.

Mentor Ji walked in through the Gates at this point. Jayden let go of his boyfriend to greet Ji with a warm hug, happy his father figure was safe and sound.

"You guys did excellent," Ji said with a smile as he looked to the Rangers, but he kept one are wrapped around Jayden. "You really came through today."

"Just like any other fight," Mike shrugged his shoulders, "Only we were down a Ranger."

"And had cameras and reporters following our every move," Kevin reminded him, "That was a lot of unwelcomed pressure."

"You think you had it bad?" Serena said, "They were watching me! Actually, no, they were watching Emily. One screw up from me and I could have ruined everything. That's pressure!"

"Point taken," Kevin nodded and leaned back, propping himself up on his hands, "Speaking of Emily…"

"Five more minutes," Serena fell back into the grass, "she can survive five more minutes."

Jayden nodded and gestured for Antonio to follow him. The red and gold Rangers walked inside for some privacy, which the others understood. Jayden and Antonio had been put through a lot, especially for a new couple.

Jayden took a seat on his stool and Antonio sat beside him. The gold Ranger took the red Rangers' hand.

"You don't have to worry," Antonio said, "The Nighlok wasn't after me or Ji. We were just bait."

"That's good to know," Jayden nodded. It had crossed his mind that maybe Antonio was being targeted, and he wouldn't know what to do if Antonio was in danger because they were in love.

"You foiled the Nighlok's plan so we're safe," Antonio smiled and then nudge Jayden slightly, "besides, I guess there's no cooler way for me to see you got the Shark Disk up and running."

"Is that what you were working on with Ji?"

Antonio grinned, "Yeah. It's my apology to you and the team. I felt bad about running away and putting you guys in danger so, you know…"

"You built us a new weapon?"

"Well, I built you a new weapon," Antonio chuckled.

"And a shark? Is this you telling us you've overcome your fear of fish?"

"Step by step," Antonio nodded and then he leaned into Jayden, "Thanks for the rescue."

"Did you doubt me?"

"Not for a minute."


	57. Serena's and Kevin's Visits

After taking some time to wind down, Serena decided she would check the news before she headed into town. She figured if the plan to have the yellow Ranger and Emily spotted in two different places it would make the news rather quickly. Fortunately, it had. Serena turned on the TV and immediately saw footage of both her and Emily on a split screen, the caption at the bottom read _"Rumours proven false"._

Unfortunately, with that theory down, the city could now focus on the other theory that had been brought up. The theory that made the Rangers seem like the bad guys, maybe even worse than the Nighlok. Getting the city to believe that Emily wasn't a Ranger didn't mean they believed she had nothing to do with the Samurai and that she wasn't in on some master plan to take over the city and maybe even the country.

"If rumours like these keep spreading, we're going to have a real problem on our hands," Kevin said as he walked into the common room. He was icing his shoulder after taking a hard hit in the battle. It was nothing new for him. Aside from the ice it seemed like it wasn't even bothering him. Serena paid very little attention to her injuries. They stung a little more than she had expected, but she remembered she wasn't used to taking so many hits.

"Why are they doing this?" Serena grumbled and turned off the TV. She had heard enough.

"For what it's worth," Kevin said, "I'm sorry. Mia and I probably shouldn't have morphed."

"I don't blame you. Mike would have morphed anyways to take down Frankie. So he could beat him up without getting caught. I would have done the same thing."

"We'll prove to the city we're on their side," Kevin put his hand on Serena's shoulder, "and if we can't then they can't touch us. They had no idea who we are."

"That's what scares me," Serena looked up at Kevin, "The city's got no idea, but there is one person who does."

"Emily…"

"If they think she knows, they'll try to get the information out of her."

"These rumours have to stop."

"Frankie's the problem," Serena muttered. "He's the one spewing lies. He's saying the Rangers attacked him for no reason. He's trying to get the city to take his side, and with no one to argue against him, there's no reason not to."

"Just worry about keeping Emily away from the cops for now," Kevin said and he gave Serena's shoulder a slight squeeze and the he gave her the ice pack. It was still cold and he figured she could use it.

As he started for the door, Serena gave him a questioning look, "Where are you going?"

"Out," Kevin said. "Mia's napping anyways. I'm bored."

"Wanna come with me to pick up Emily from… wherever she wandered off to?"

"I've got my own plans, actually," Kevin said, "but you can drive me into town. We'll take Jayden's car."

-Samurai-

After dropping Kevin off by a bus stop in the city, Serena started to drive around, hoping she could find her sister quickly. She had told Emily to go to the diner, but when she watched the news she had seen Emily walking around town in different places. By the bank, the grocery store, and even caught on street cameras, which meant she could be anywhere.

But in every picture Serena had seen, she had seen Emily with Abby which meant Emily wasn't alone. Serena had no idea what had drawn her to trust Abby. The younger girl had tormented her little sister endlessly from Emily's first day of school, right up until her last and even beyond that. The bullying from Abby hadn't ceased until Serena's act of kindness.

Maybe it was the hours of acting like Emily, but when Serena thought about it, Abby was the first person in a long time Serena had trusted and there was no real reason for this trust. Abby hadn't actually done anything to prove she would care for Emily. She had said she had made a turn around, but over the years Serena learned Abby's words meant nothing.

Serena didn't have trust issues, but she was a lot more careful about who she put her trust in, especially when it came to her family. But it seemed Emily was rubbing off on her in the right way.

"Gotta have a little faith, right," she said to herself as she pulled into the hospital parking lot. She had received a text while driving and knew she could find Emily and Abby here. She was worried about the possible reasons of why Emily, Abby, and Terran ended up in the hospital, but she took comfort in the fact that Jayden's symbol was still up. As long as she wasn't hurting, Emily wasn't hurting. Serena was still a little sore from the battle, but those were her own injuries. The only real concern she had for Emily was her knee, but it was only bruised.

She worried for Terran too, but trusted her sister completely. In fact, Emily was the only person Serena trusted completely. Until someone said otherwise, Serena was sure the hospital visit had nothing to do with Terran.

She was relieved to find out the visit did have nothing to do with him when she picked him up from the hospital day care and then set off to find the room she had been given through the text message with everything she needed to know about finding Emily. She was sure Abby had sent it through Emily's phone, because the message didn't sound like Emily.

She double checked the room number. She remembered strangers accidently coming into her room and it was always awkward. They were always mistaken about where to go and never meant to invade Serena's privacy, and it was something she did not want to do to another patient or family member.

"1263, you see it too, right?" she asked Terran and he just babbled back. She took that as confirmation that she had the right room and slowly opened the door. When she got in, she let out a deep breath. Emily was in the bed, with Abby in the chair beside her, but there was another familiar face in the room, a comforting face.

Serena smiled brightly as she looked to the nurse, "Mary."

The nurse smiled back and nodded her head. When Serena had been sick she had spent months in the hospital and had been treated by several doctors and a lot more nurses. Mary had been her favourite.

"There's a face I never want to see again," Mary said and got up to give Serena a hug, "At least, not inside these walls."

"What happened?" Serena asked as she pulled away from the hug and looked at Emily, fast asleep in the bed. Serena turned her attention over to Abby while Mary looked then played with Terran.

"She kept getting these really bad pains," Abby said. "I didn't know why. She promised me she was fine but I didn't want to take any chances."

"You did the right thing," Serena nodded.

"The doctors have no idea what's wrong," Abby added, "They did a few basic tests and couldn't find anything except for her knee but you knew about that, right?"

Serena could figure out what happened. The whole point of the symbol Jayden cast was that Emily would feel Serena's pain and the other Rangers would have an easier time treating Serena as they would Emily. Up until now, it hadn't occurred to Serena just how effective the symbol would work. All the hits she took in battle, the cuts and bruises, must have caused Emily a lot of pain as well. Pain she couldn't explain to Abby.

"I knew about the knee. You know Emy, she's a huge klutz."

"I'm just here to keep her calm while we waited for some more tests," Mary said.

"I wasn't enough comfort for her," Abby shrugged. "She was kind of… well, she's still mad at me for all the stuff I've done."

"Probably a good call," Serena smirked and then she looked at Mary, "No need for the tests. I'm sure Emily's fine."

"But if…"

"I'll keep an eye on her and if something comes up, I'll bring her right back, I swear."

Mary looked Serena in the eyes and knew there was no arguing with her. She nodded and started her way out of the room.

"I'll go see what the doctor has to say."

Serena shifted Terran from one hip to the other and looked to Abby with a smile.

"Thanks for taking care of her."

"It's the least I can do," Abby said. She gave Serena a questioning look, "You've probably seen the news…"

"Don't believe the bullshit," Serena shook her head, "Emily, a Ranger?"

"They've proven that wrong. I know it's wrong. Emily was with me when I saw the yellow Ranger live on TV. But the conspiracy theories…"

"More lies," Serena quickly blurted out and realized she needed a reason why she believed this. She looked back to Emily, "The Rangers saved her from Frankie. I don't know why, but they turned up. I know she's not working with them on some mastermind plan. That's just… it's not Emily. As for them taking over the city? How cruel can the people be who would go out of their way to rescue Emily?"

"The green Ranger hurt Frankie pretty bad."

"So did I," Serena said. "I work at the school he goes to. When Emily was kidnapped I found him with pictures of her, recent pictures and I let him have it. You know from experience, no one messes with my little sister."

"Glad I wasn't on the other end of those fists, then."

"You were close," Serena replied honestly, "many times."

"Well, I can't be sure about the Rangers," Abby said, "but I know Emily's innocent of whatever lies the press have made."

"Then by extension…"

"I'm not saying I think the Rangers are up to something," Abby shrugged her shoulders, "but they do have that power and all those weapons and… well, if you're wrong and the media is right, I won't be surprised. But I won't be surprised if this is all a big scam for attention from the press either."

"You've really changed, Abs," Serena smiled, "and it turns out, you're a really good person. Thanks again for looking out for her. If there's anything I can…"

"I still owe you," Abby chuckled. She got up from the chair. With Serena at the hospital there was no reason for her to stick about anymore. She knew she still made Emily uncomfortable and overtime with the babysitter was starting to pile up.

Serena gave Abby a quick hug before she let her leave and she took a seat in the chair. She took Emily's hand in her own as Emily started to stir.

"There's nothing wrong with me," Emily muttered. "Can I go home, now?"

"Usually they don't discharge minors without a guardian," Serena chuckled and Emily's head turned to the side and she smiled at her sister. "You couldn't leave without me."

"Finally! Where have you been?"

"That fight was hard," Serena replied with a chuckle. Emily gave her a nasty look.

"I know."

Serena lifted Terran onto the bed, "On the bright side, no one thinks you're the yellow Ranger anymore."

"But people are still staring," Emily muttered and she pointed to the door, "Nurses and doctors all have that look on their face, the same look the people at the diner had. And when other patients or visitors walk by and catch a glimpse of me, they stop and stare for a minute."

"I'll teach you my deadly glare and you can make them very uncomfortable when you do catch people staring," Serena smirked, "That should get them off your backs while we try and come up with some way to prove the Rangers are the good guys."

-Samurai-

Kevin didn't know why he didn't think of this earlier, but assumed it had something to do with the fact that this was the last person he ever wanted to see again.

He was sitting in a room that was empty except for the table before him, the chair he was sitting on, and another chair. It hadn't been easy getting this visit but Kevin had said and done everything he needed to get inside.

Finally, the doors opened and a guard walked in. Kevin didn't mind the guard, his eyes were fixed on the teenager coming in behind him. The teenager sat down and Kevin gave him a good look.

"How's juvie, Frankie?"

"Who are you?"

"You kidnapped my sister."

Frankie gave Kevin a strange look, "I have no idea what you're…"

"Emily," Kevin reminded him, "You tied her up in your closet and pretended she was your girlfriend."

Frankie scoffed, "You don't look like Emily's brother. You can't be Emily's brother."

"You can't be her boyfriend."

"Apparently I never was," Frankie muttered and pointed to his face. It was clearing up, but there were still signs of bruising from the beating he had received and, in Kevin's opinion, deserved. "The Rangers are out to get me."

"Or so you say," Kevin growled. "Stop the lies, Frankie."

"No," Frankie shook his head, "I'm innocent. Emily made me do all those things to her. She's not even speaking up against me because she knows it's true."

"If the entire city really believed you were innocent, you wouldn't still be here, would you?"

Frankie growled, "They're working on…"

"Nothing," Kevin shook his head. "They may think you're right, Frankie, but so far they have no proof that the Rangers and Emily did stage this. All they know are the facts. Emily was found tied up in the back of your car."

"She set me up!"

"Someone doesn't believe that," Kevin slammed his fists on the table.

"Yeah, you. I know the truth…"

"I believe the Rangers," Kevin said. "The majority of the city may not, but me and enough people to keep you in here do believe in them. They're good guys and if we turn our backs against them, who knows what'll happen."

"Look at what they did to my face."

"It's an improvement," Kevin smirked. He got up from the chair, tired of this conversation, but he still had one last thing to say before he left, "Believe it or not, Frankie, the Rangers do protect even you. If you let them take the fall because you're mad at the make-over they gave you, you'll be putting the entire city in danger."

"So?"

"Your _beloved_ Emily will be the first to fall if you let these lies continue. What's the point of getting out of juvie if she's locked up or killed because of the lies you know you're spreading?"

"I was attacked…"

"Stop the lies, Frankie, or you and I will be having another little chat," Kevin growled and slammed the door as he left.

As he stormed off out of the building, Kevin could only hope the lies would stop. It wasn't just Emily who was in danger, but the entire team. The city didn't know it, but if they tried something against the Rangers, there was only so far Kevin was willing to go to stop them. He fought against the Nighlok not other humans. Really, it was the city that held all the power and it scared him to think of what they could do with it. So before they realized that, Kevin needed the rumours, the lies, and all the theories to stop.


	58. If The City Finds Out

Kevin thought it best to sneak back into the house before the team realized he had been away for so long. He didn't have anything to hide regarding his visit with Frankie, but he thought it best if the others were unaware of his trying to meddle, at least for now.

As he closed the front door as silently as possible, he heard a repeated tapping sound. He knew he was caught and slowly turned around. Mia, Jayden, Antonio, and Mike were all standing in the hallway as if they had been waiting for a while.

"Where the hell have you been?" Mia asked.

"With Serena to pick up Emily," Kevin tried to lie but he couldn't without giving himself away. The look on his face screamed guilty. Mia shook her head.

"Funny, because both your signals were coming from two very different parts of town," Mia nodded her head in the direction of the common room. Kevin peeked around the corner and saw the map had been pulled up.

"You were supposed to be napping."

"Next time you leave the house, please tell someone," Mia said and then rolled her eyes and walked into the common room. Kevin let out a sigh of relief and looked to the other boys.

They still didn't seem very impressed.

"What?"

"Where are Emily and Serena?" Jayden asked.

"Right behind me…?" Kevin tried, knowing it couldn't possibly work. He had no idea where Serena and Emily were. Serena had dropped him off in the city and he hadn't seen or heard from her since.

"Really…" Mike started but then the doors started to open and Kevin got out of the way so he wouldn't be hit. He smirked knowingly at the other boys when Emily and Serena walked into the house.

"Yeah, really."

"You're lucky," Antonio chuckled and he pointed to the crutches Emily was using, "Where did you get those?"

"The nurse wouldn't let me leave without them," Emily said with a pout, "She said my knee was bruised and I had to rest it as much as possible."

Emily pointed a sharp glare at Serena. The older sister just shrugged her shoulders.

"Maybe I want more turns as yellow Ranger," Serena said, "I'll be honest, despite the pain, it's pretty fun."

"What nurse?" Jayden frowned and Mike nodded, equally curious, "I thought Serena said you were going to the diner."

"That stupid symbol you used on Serena made me hurt just as much as she did," Emily muttered unhappily, "and I couldn't tell Abby not to worry because what would I say? It's just my sister getting her butt kicked by a bunch of Moogers and a Nighlok and I can feel her pain?"

"Getting my butt kicked?" Serena shook her head, "Uh, excuse me. Do you really think I got my butt kicked?"

Emily nodded her head, "Yes. Next time we share pain, I would appreciate it if you didn't get hurt every three seconds. The point of being a Ranger is kicking butt and winning."

"Is that what I was supposed to do?" Serena chuckled, "Well, I'll know for next time. Here, hold my baby."

Serena put Terran in Emily's arms and walked off without another word to her sister. Emily bounced Terran for a quick moment, playing around with him until she realized that with the crutches she needed her arms to walk and couldn't possibly move when she was holding Terran.

"Not fair!" she shouted to her sister. Down the hall, Serena continued to laugh.

Mike took Terran from Emily and the Rangers gathered in the common room. Now that they were all back together, they wanted to figure out their next move. They knew Emily was in the clear as far as being the yellow Ranger went, but there was another theory, a more dangerous one, that they really needed to work on.

"I'm sure there are enough people in town who are still on our side," Kevin said, remembering his talk with Frankie. He had to believe that if Frankie was still in a youth detention center, someone, somewhere, with enough power, believed he was telling lies. If they didn't, Kevin couldn't understand why the city would keep Frankie in the center.

"Yeah, but who and how long will they keep thinking that?" Mike asked. "All the news does now is talk about us conspiring against the city."

"Who do we know who can help us out?" Antonio asked and Jayden shook his head.

"Not enough people," he sighed.

"What about Mentor's contacts?" Kevin asked. "He's always saying he's got friends and he's getting us out of trouble all the time. Surely they can do something."

"It's still not enough," Jayden said. "Mentor's got some people in important places, but they can't give themselves away. We're not even allowed to know who they are. I've never met a single one of them."

"Why not?" Emily frowned. "Isn't it their job to help us out?"

"They can't," Jayden stated, "I wish they could, but that's too much to ask. I'm sure they're doing all they can behind the scenes, but we've got to fix this mess ourselves."

"And fast," Mike added and he gave Kevin and Jayden a look, "I don't care about the people helping us out, I don't care who believes us now, if we don't fix this problem soon, all the blame is going to fall on us, people are going to think Frankie's innocent and if that happens…"

"He gets out?" Emily choked fearfully and Mike nodded his head. He hated having to scare her, but it was only a matter of time unless the lies stopped.

"He won't get out," Mia promised her.

"More specifically, he won't get to you," Antonio said with a smile. "If the city thinks he's innocent, they'll also think you've got six Ranger bodyguards looking after you. No one's stupid enough to go after you if they think the Rangers are protecting you."

"Actually…" Kevin looked down at his hands in his lap. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, "If the city does try to hurt us, we can't hurt them back."

"I'm not saying we hurt them…"

"Exactly," Kevin nodded and looked around at the other Rangers, "if we hurt them, we prove them right. The city doesn't know it yet, but they have all the power. They're in control because we're Samurai. We don't hurt the innocent. We were trained and taught to only fight the Nighlok, not humans."

"So?" Mike frowned.

"So, it's only a matter of time before the city either realizes that and tries to take advantage, or they fail to realize that, really get scared, and come at us with everything they've got."

"So, you're saying we're screwed?" Antonio asked. "No matter what we do, we're screwed?"

"Unless we can stop the lies now."

Mike pounded his fist on the table and jumped to his feet, clearly angry, "Then let's just fuck it. What's the point of being Rangers if the city's just going to hurt us?"

"Mike…" Mia said calmly and took Terran from his arms before he did something reckless with the baby.

"No," Mike shook his head. "Unless that son of a bitch Frankie drops his lies and the press stops with their rumours, we're either going to be hunted down because we're threats, or we'll be hunted down the so city can use us and our powers to their own advantage. Once they realize our powers are tied to us, not the suits, no one will trust us. We'll be prisoners!"

Mike kicked the table and then stormed off to his room. He could feel his anger was starting to rise quickly and if he didn't get away and calmed himself down he was going to do something he would regret.

Emily gulped as she watched him leave and then her eyes fell on Terran in Mia's lap. She knew Mike was right and that the Rangers were stuck, but a thought occurred to her. If the city did catch the Rangers and learned their identities, it was only a matter of time before they went after the Ranger families, assuming they had something to do with the lies. Emily jumped right up from her stool and raced off down the hall.

"Emily!" Mia called and Kevin shook his head.

"No wonder she's always getting hurt," he picked up her crutches and they all followed her. They found her in Serena's room, with Serena trying to get her to calm down so she could understand what Emily was trying to say.

"Breathe, squirt."

"You can't be me anymore," Emily looked Serena right in the eye to show her she wasn't kidding. "You have to go home with Terran."

"Go home?" Serena frowned and shook her head, "No way. Not with all this going on."

"All this is exactly why you need to go home. Go home and tell all our parents what's happening. They'll need to be ready to hide."

"What are you talking about?" Mia asked and put her hand on Emily's shoulder. She shrugged it off and spun around so she could look at everyone around her.

"If they find out who the Rangers are, who we are, they'll find out about Serena and Terran. What's going to happen to them, or to the rest of our families?"

"Nothing," Mia promised but Jayden shook his head.

"She's right. Your families need to be ready to hide just in case something happens."

"I'm sure they've seen the news," Serena looked at Emily, "I'm sure they'll be fine. I'm staying here with you."

"No," Emily shook her head, "You can't stay. I don't care where you go, but you're not staying here."

Emily reached into Serena's pocket and pulled her out Samuraizer to take it back. Serena tried to stop her, but Emily held it just out of her reach.

"If you stay here," she said, "then that means Terran's staying too and you're putting him in danger. If the city finds out who we are, they'll come after us, they'll come after you, and you might never see Terran again."

"Emily…"

"Especially if he transforms."

"He hasn't transformed in a long time. He knows…"

"Do you really want to take that risk? All it'll take is one little slip and the city will realize what he is and they'll kill him."

"Emily!"

"Get him out of here," Emily growled and she glared up at her sister, determined not to back down.

"If it gets worse…"

"Get him out now."

Serena gave her sister another look and then saw Terran in Mia's arms. She couldn't let the city have him because Emily was right. All it took was one mistake and he could transform where the city would see it. If that happened, there was no way Serena would be able to convince anyone her son wasn't a threat. After all, why would they believe the mother of a Nighlok? The very monster that was trying to kill them all.

"You be careful," Serena nodded and kissed Emily's forehead just before she took Terran from Mia. She always had an emergency bag prepared for Terran. The house was hidden away from the city and was usually nowhere near the Nighlok attacks, but if danger were to come knocking on their door, Serena knew she wouldn't have time to prepare what she needed to take Terran and run.

She put Terran in a carrier and strapped him to her chest before she put on the backpack. She looked to her friends.

"Seriously, guys, be careful."

"You too," Jayden nodded.

Emily gave Serena the old Samuraizer back, "Don't answer a single call on it," Emily told her, "You won't know for sure if it's us calling or them."

"Symbols only," Serena nodded so Emily knew she understood. She gave her sister another look, "I don't want to be gone long so make sure you guy get this fixed and fast."

"What about the school?" Jayden asked. "You'll be gone from there…"

"Tell the principal I was called to another school," Serena said, "I've been at my school for a while, and when Mentor Ji got me the job I was supposed to go around to different schools anyways. Just don't give out too many details."

"I'll call James as soon as you're gone," Emily said.

"Thanks," Serena nodded and then walked to the door. Before she left she said a quick goodbye and she had everyone promise they would bring her home soon. Mike even came out of his room after hearing about the plan to get Serena and Terran out of the house. He didn't like it, but he knew it was the only thing they could do for Terran.

When the goodbyes were finished, Serena stepped outside and started running into the forest, in the opposite direction of the city. The further away she could get before the city caught on, the safer she and Terran would be.


	59. Is There Hope?

A few days after Serena left, Antonio woke up to complete silence in the house. Jayden wasn't even out of bed; he was still lying next to Antonio with a smile on his face. Antonio knew Jayden was just happy that finally the people he really cared about were back home and safe. He had been through a lot over the last little while and Antonio didn't want to put him through anymore.

He gave his sleeping boyfriend a kiss on the cheek and got out of bed. He was wide awake and though it was still early morning he knew there was no falling back asleep. For the first time, with the exceptions of all the times he went fishing before dawn, Antonio would be the first person awake in the house.

Or so he thought. As he walked by the common room to get to the kitchen, he saw the light was on. He walked in and found Emily sitting on the couch with one of Terran's toys in her hands. Antonio leaned against the doorframe. Serena had been gone three days and had surely made it far. There was no doubt she was safe and she would do anything to keep herself and Terran from harm, but it wasn't easy letting them go. Terran had been a part of the Shiba House since the day he was born and he had only been gone from the house to be with his grandfather when Takeshi had kidnapped all the Rangers but Serena and Mia.

And Serena had been in the Shiba House and a part of the Ranger team for so long, now, Antonio had to remind himself she wasn't actually a Ranger. Her absence, just like any other absence, made a huge change in atmosphere at home.

"I am sorry," he couldn't count the number of times he had apologized. By now his friends had forgiven him, but it seemed to repercussions of his running away were still hurting the Rangers, which made him feel like shit.

Emily turned her head to look at Antonio then shrugged and turned her focus back to the toy.

"It's not your fault."

Antonio walked over to the couch. He lifted Emily's legs, took a seat, and let her rest her legs on his lap. He nodded his head.

"If I didn't run away, you wouldn't have gone out to look for me. Frankie wouldn't have kidnapped you, the Rangers wouldn't have rescued you, the public wouldn't have seen it and we would be living our normal crazy life."

"Frankie would have kidnapped me eventually," Emily answered, never taking her eyes off the toy, "He was crazy. He kept saying we were in love and fate was giving us signs. You running away didn't cause that."

"Do you want some breakfast?" Antonio asked. Emily shook her head. She wasn't feeling very hungry. Antonio was going to get up anyways when both he and Emily heard footsteps from down the hall. Antonio reached for the lights, turning them off.

"Why?" Emily whispered but Antonio covered her mouth.

"It's 5:30. Who else should be up?" he whispered back and then gestured for her to be quiet. Both the yellow and gold Rangers sat in complete silence as the person made their way down the hall and to the front door, unaware of the eyes watching them.

"_Kevin,"_ Antonio mouthed to Emily and she furrowed her brow. Kevin was an early riser, but not before six and he never left the house before six.

Kevin slipped out of the house and Antonio and Emily could hear Jayden's car starting up before it pulled out of the driveway with Kevin inside. They exchanged looks.

"Where is he going?" Antonio peeked out the window and Emily shrugged her shoulders.

"Mia's not going to be happy."

Antonio nodded and he knew the last thing the house needed was more conflict. There was already so much stress with the public eye watching the Rangers' every move, and Serena leaving. If Kevin and Mia got into a fight, Antonio was worried the whole house would lose it.

"Why?" he asked Emily. "We know he left."

"But…"

"If she asks, we'll just say he went to the bookstore."

"But…"

"If he comes back empty handed, he can just tell her the book he wanted wasn't in stock. No harm, no foul."

"But…"

"Do you really want to see Kevin and Mia fight?"

Emily shook her head and Antonio smirked. He gave her good leg a pat and was about to get up when he thought he heard a sniff. He looked down at Emily and saw her wiping her eyes.

"No, no, Em, don't you dare…"

"How much trouble do we need to be in for me to have to lie to Mia?" Emily looked up at Antonio. "I don't think I've ever lied to her before. She's normally the one I tell my secrets too, especially when Serena's not around."

"Emily…" Antonio sat back down and took Emily's hand in his, "We're going to be okay."

"Maybe Mike was right," Emily lowered her head, "Maybe it's only a matter of time before the city catches us either way and turns us into weapons."

Antonio shook his head and pulled Emily into his arms, "Don't you dare think like that, okay? You leave all those negative thoughts to Mike and Kevin. You keep thinking happy thoughts."

"But I can't…"

"Do it for the others," Antonio squeezed her gently, "If you give up, there's no one left to hold onto hope. Now, repeat after me: things will get better."

"Things will get better…"

"C'mon, Em, with feeling," Antonio let her go and smiled brightly. "More expression. More oomph."

"Oomph?" Emily asked, chuckling at the word.

"Like this," Antonio nodded and then exclaimed, in his happiest voice possible, "Things will get better."

Emily shook her head and laughed, "I'm not doing that."

"C'mon," Antonio poked her in the stomach, "Oomph, it, Em! Oomph it."

"Things will get better," Emily giggled but it still wasn't enough for Antonio.

"Oomph it!"

"I am oomphing it!"

"Oomph it more!" Antonio grabbed her wrists and threw her hands up, "Things will get better!"

"You're an oomph," Emily laughed and then both Rangers heard someone clearing his throat. They turned around and saw Mentor Ji was also awake early and standing right in the doorway.

"It's not even six o'clock," Ji said.

"Sorry," Antonio laughed, "We were just…"

Ji held up a hand, "I don't want to know. I will be in the kitchen. Any requests for breakfast?"

"Pancakes," Antonio said with a smile before suddenly getting more excited, "No, waffles!"

"Waffles it is," Ji said and turned around to get started.

"Mentor," Emily called before he was gone. He turned around.

"Yes?"

"Special waffles," she said. "Waffles with a little oomph."

"Oh boy," Ji rolled his eyes and started to the kitchen while Emily and Antonio chuckled to themselves.

-Samurai-

Kevin knew part of Frankie's punishment was community service. Even though the city was starting to have its doubts that he was guilty of kidnapping, there was no real proof that his words were true and until there were (Kevin was sure there never would be), Frankie couldn't go free. He had to stay and complete his time in the youth detention center, as well as his community service hours.

Kevin had to wait around in the city for a bit, but used that to really think about what he was going to tell Frankie, and what he would tell Mia when he got home. He didn't want the others knowing he was talking to Frankie, but he would have to have an excuse for Mia as to why he was out of the house.

"Bookstore," he thought to himself, unaware it was the same excuse Antonio would use, "I can tell her I went to pick up a book and got distracted. She shouldn't get too mad."

After working out every last detail of his – he didn't want to call it a – lie, Kevin saw something of interest down the street and smirked. He got up from the city bench and walked over. It was Frankie with two escorts and he was cleaning up trash from the street.

"Early start," Kevin said and looked to his watch, "Much earlier than if you were to wake up to go to school."

Frankie glared at Kevin before going back to work, "Here to tell me I'm a liar again? I know my truth."

"Why bother lying, Frankie?" Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "You and I both know Emily's got nothing to do with the Rangers. And even if she did, hypothetically, you wouldn't want to get on their bad side."

"The Rangers did something to her," Frankie said, "I know they did."

"She hasn't been the same since you kidnapped her," Kevin growled. "The Rangers have nothing to do with what happened and you know it."

"I didn't kidnap her," Frankie shook his head, "Emily and I were in love. The Rangers…"

"You had her tied up in the back of your car!"

"Because she tried to run away."

"Because she didn't love you!"

"You don't know what love is," Frankie shook his head. "Our love was real. She just needs a little more convincing. But the Rangers stole her from me! They're the ones who kidnapped her! They're probably the ones holding her hostage. In fact, I'm sure they are."

"She was spotted on the streets…"

"It's all part of an elaborate plan."

Kevin scoffed and shook his head, "You know, what, Frankie, you believe whatever the hell you want to believe. Your ridiculous theories are only going to go on for so long anyways before people get bored and move on."

"I'll be proven innocent," Frankie said, "and when I'm free, I'm coming back for Emily and she and I are…"

Kevin swiftly grabbed Frankie by the shirt and slammed him into a store wall, pinning him against the bricks.

"Finish that sentence and the Power Rangers are going to be the least of your concerns," he growled, "No matter how your stupid theories turn out, I'm going to make sure your never getting anywhere near my little sister. Got it?"

Frankie's escorts were tugging at Kevin's arms, trying to get him to let go of Frankie before Kevin did anything to hurt him, but Kevin only let go when he was ready to let go. He dropped Frankie to the ground.

"No matter what," Kevin growled, "You still brought Emily into your home and you kidnapped her."

"It was…"

"I don't care what you think the Rangers did. I don't care what you did. Emily's innocent."

Kevin stormed off from Frankie, kicking an empty soda can as he left. No matter how hard he tried with Frankie, he never felt like he got anywhere. Maybe Mike was right and the Rangers were screwed. Maybe there really was nothing they could do but hope for the best while they prepared for the worse.


	60. Emily and Kevin's Talk

On his way home, Kevin stopped to pick up a paper. The news was filled with nothing but lies, but if he and the other Rangers were going to stay on top of the rumours, they needed to keep up with whatever was being spread around.

It was clear to Kevin that Frankie was the source. Hardly anyone seemed to care about the fact that he kidnapped Emily. He had been the victim of an attack from the Rangers and the city wanted to know why. Frankie seemed more than happy to fabricate any story his imagination could think of that would get him out of the youth detention center, though Kevin would never allow it.

He scrunched up the newspaper into a ball when he arrived within the Gates of the Shiba House and he tossed the paper aside. That was when he heard the gravel shifting behind him and a clear of the throat. He turned around and found Mia looking very, very unimpressed. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Emily, Antonio, Jayden, Mike and even Mentor Ji.

"What?"

"Where have you been?" Mia asked and she placed her hands on her hips. Kevin was in trouble and he knew it.

"Bookstore."

"Told you," Antonio gave Mia a smirk but she pointed her glare at him. He nodded and took a seat on the steps. Mia turned her attention back to Kevin.

"Antonio was hard to crack," she said, "but once I got Emily alone…"

"What are you talking about?" Kevin frowned. The way Mia was talking it sounded like he had made a plan with Antonio and Emily, but he knew that wasn't true. No one was supposed to know he hadn't gone to the bookstore, and even if he had made a plan, he would have confided in Mike. He knew the green Ranger could keep a secret.

"Emily and I were in the common room when you snuck off," Antonio said and then quickly pointed at Emily, "She cracked… ow!"

"There's a reason I don't lie to Mia," Emily moved her crutch away from Antonio after hitting him with it. She pouted, "Besides, it was a cheap shot. She flicked my knee."

"Where are you going?" Mia asked Kevin. "That's the second time you sneak off. We need to stick together, especially now."

"No one knows I'm the blue Ranger," Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "The spotlight is on Emily, not me. I'm just average Joe when I go into the city."

"Where have you been going?" Mia asked again, a little more forcefully, "Why is it a secret?"

"From all of us?" Jayden added.

Kevin looked around at the team, "It's nothing, okay. I just thought…" he took a deep breath, "I just went to talk to Frankie a couple of times."

"Frankie?" Mike crossed his arms over his chest, "Kidnapper Frankie?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Rumours started with him. If anyone can end them, and fast, it's the source."

"You've been going to see Frankie?" Mia asked.

"I'm trying to stop the lies, and I'm trying to get him to focus on something other than Emily."

"Who cares what he focuses on," Mia shook her head, "He's away. He's locked up."

"If these lies continue to spread, the city might think he's innocent," Kevin said and for a brief moment he looked at Emily, "I'm not going to let it happen, none of us are, but if he's innocent, there's no reason to keep him in the detention center. He would be a free man."

"He's not getting anywhere near Emily," Mia said, "and you threatening him isn't going to do anything."

"I'm trying to stop the lies. You guys are just sitting here."

"Let the Rangers handle the lies."

"We are the Rangers."

"We," Mia gestured to everyone, "are just regular people in a regular society. The Rangers are Rangers."

"And it's only a matter of time before the city realizes the Rangers are us."

"But for now, they have no idea."

"They know Emily."

"They think," Mia said, stressing the word think, "They only think they know Emily."

"It's the truth."

"Kevin, threatening Frankie is only going to piss him off. Not everyone listens to reason like you do. Some people will do what they want, especially when they are told not to. Leave Frankie alone and let the blue Ranger handle this."

Mia walked back into the house and the other Samurai except Emily followed her. Emily just looked at Kevin.

"You saw Frankie?"

"He's not coming back."

"Why?"

"Because we won't let it happen."

"I mean, why did you go see Frankie?"

Kevin sighed and shrugged. He knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to keep himself, the Rangers, and Mia safe. He wanted to stop the lies and so they could all go back to their normal lives where only the Nighlok were dangerous. Really, when he thought about it, he wasn't sure why he went to Frankie. It just seemed like the only place to go.

"Are you scared of him?" Emily asked.

"Of course not," Kevin shook his head, "What's he going to do to me?"

"According to you, he's the source. He's the reason we're being watched like we are."

"So?"

"The city sees me as the enemy's face," Emily shrugged. "They're going after the Rangers, but I'm the reason why. Is Frankie your enemy's face?"

"We'll go back to normal, Emily," Kevin promised her, "We'll have fun again and be Rangers on the side, just like before Frankie turned up."

"I know," Emily nodded and smiled, remembering her talk with Antonio earlier that morning. "We'll figure it out."

She set her crutches aside and walked down the stairs. She sat at the bottom and Kevin sat next to her.

"What did you tell him?"

"Who?"

"Frankie," Emily chuckled, "You know, my stalker."

Kevin smiled, "I just told him to stop with the lies. To leave you alone."

"You said you weren't going to let him near me. Why go out of your way to warn him?"

"Because I hoped he could stop the lies."

"I'm not that naïve, you know. Mike and I do talk. I know you're always on his case about, well, me."

"He's a good guy for you, Em. I trust him."

"Which is a funny thing to hear," Emily said, "considering he's your best friend and you're his. Shouldn't you be telling me not to hurt him?"

"Don't hurt him," Kevin chuckled. Emily nudged him.

"You have to be convincing, Kevin. C'mon. With a little more oomph."

Kevin looked at Emily and then shook his head, "You're a little weirdo."

"I'm not the one going out in the early morning to meet up with a guy who's been leaving us alone just to tell him to stay away."

"Okay," Kevin sighed, "So I was on Mike's case. So what? You were my friend before he was. Technically, you're first in line."

"Uh-huh."

"You have to be more convincing," Kevin teased her, "A little more oomph, Em."

Emily smiled and leaned her head on Kevin's shoulder, "I have no doubt you were trying to help with the rumours. That was probably the first thought on your mind, but you went to Frankie because he bugs you. Because, you don't like what he did."

"You really aren't naïve."

"If it took you this long to figure that out, we have a problem," Emily lifted her head from his shoulder to glare at him.

"I didn't mean that as a bad thing," Kevin wrapped his arm around her. "What Frankie did… if it had been any woman I would have been disgusted. If it had been Mia, I'd be the one in prison right now."

"But it was me," Emily nodded. "Not quite Mia, but close enough to get you involved.

"I told Frankie you were my sister," Kevin said. "He didn't really buy it."

"Why not?" Emily shrugged, "For all he knows we could be siblings," she let out a heavy sigh, "I guess I'm not surprised, though. I didn't see much from inside his closet, but I did see something."

"What's that?"

"Frankie's got no family. No one pays any attention to him. His parents were out all the time, he's got no friends. I guess it's no wonder he's loving all these lies. He's probably being interviewed and stuff all the time."

"Probably," Kevin nodded.

-Samurai-

The one thing that didn't bother Frankie about the detention center was that he had a room to himself. He had no roommates and he was thrilled about that. With everything in the center so public, his room was the one place he had to himself. The one place he could find peace and quiet.

He was sitting on his bed with a few books laying around him. School hadn't let up, and it was worse than ever before. The teachers were worse that the reformed ones back at his school, and inside the detention center there was no Serena to correct their behaviour. In fact, everyone in the building was trying to get him to correct his behaviour, but he was having none of it.

He stared mindlessly at the book in his laps. His eyes were reading the words but his brain wasn't picking on anything. He was so distracted; he didn't even really see the book in his lap anymore. His mind flashed back to the conversation he had had with Kevin, Emily's so-called brother.

The last thing Kevin had said to him before storming off was that Emily was innocent. At first Frankie hadn't thought much of it but the words started to sink in now that he was alone in his room. He remembered why he fell in love with her and what initially drew him in. She was a good girl. She wouldn't hurt him like the other girls had. She was innocent.

His rumours about the Rangers, a part of him wanted to believe in them himself. It was the reason why he kept lying to the reporters and the media when they came in to question him. He wanted to consider himself a victim because he didn't believe he could do harm. Not to Emily.

He let out a heavy sigh and fell back into his bed. He looked up at the ceiling and thought back to the very moment he grabbed Emily. He closed his eyes and his mind wandered off. As he dreamt, he replayed the moment he captured her over and over again.

Fate brought them together. He had to believe it. But the look on her face, he could no longer deny: it was horror. He had wrestled her to the ground and she had fought him, kicking and screaming. She had never stopped kicking and screaming.

"No," he shook his head and sat up.

"_I don't care what you think the Rangers did. I don't care what you did. Emily's innocent."_

Emily. His sweet Emily. She wouldn't conspire against him. Even if, by chance, she didn't love him back, there was no way she would ever hurt him. She knew what it was like to be in his position: the outcast, the loser, no friends, no real bright side in the foreseeable future.

He didn't care about the Rangers. They had beaten him up. They had caused him pain and he still couldn't explain why. But now, more than ever, he was sure Kevin was right. Emily was innocent. And yet, from what he could see from inside the prison, and from the news he was getting from Kevin, his lies were turning back on her. The city believed she had something to do with the Rangers. They were going after her.

His heart started to pound. What if the Rangers really were trying something and he put Emily in the middle of it all?

-Samurai-

All Serena could hear as she travelled through the forest was Terran's crying. He rarely stopped anymore, clearly uncomfortable in his new environment, and there was nothing Serena could do to comfort him except cradle him close and promise she would take him back home soon. He was still very young, but she was sure he knew he was away from his aunts and uncles. She was sure he wanted to be back with them, in the safety of his home.

She sat up in a tree. She had found it the night before and realized it was perfect for sleeping. She could hang Terran in his carrier on a few branches, out of sight and out of reach of any animals or any human who decided to wander this far out into the forest. She never got much sleep, too scared to stay on the ground with Terran when her eyes were closed, and too scared to fall asleep in a tree and risk falling out. If she hurt herself, that would be the end of the line for her and Terran. They would be vulnerable to whatever was in this forest.

She rocked her son back and forth, trying to sooth him so he would stop crying. She made the funny faces, like Mike had showed her, but it wouldn't work. She tried playing with him, like Emily would do, but that didn't work either. She tried just being herself and being his mother, but Terran would not have it.

"I know, I know," she hushed him, "I miss home too, but we'll be back. Think of it as camping."

"Camping normally requires a tent," Serena heard a voice say from the ground and her heart stopped. There was no way anyone in their right mind would ever wander this far out into the forest.


	61. Old Flames

She never wanted to trust him again. She couldn't trust him again.

But she did.

"Dammit, Emily," Serena whispered. Acting like her little sister was starting to turn her into her sister. If Serena had just been Serena she would have jumped out of the tree and run away.

Dekker had set up a campfire for her in the middle of the forest. Serena could have made one herself, but over the last few days it had been pointless. She was up in the trees at night, the coldest time of day, and a fire wouldn't warm her. But with Dekker by her side she could stick to the ground and she could stay by the fire.

She kept Terran close as she watched Dekker carefully. Whatever Emily had done to him seemed to have worked wonders. He had no idea who she was or her Terran was and he didn't seem like he was going to clue in anytime soon. For him, Serena was just a runaway, a stranger to the forest who needed a little help.

With the warmth of the fire and his mother near him, Terran fell fast asleep and Serena continued to rock him gently as he did. One eye was on her son, the other on his father.

"He's a strong little guy," Dekker said with a smile, "What's his name?"

"Terran," Serena was half hoping the name would trigger something in Dekker. Something that would justify her getting up suddenly and running off. But the name did nothing. Absolutely nothing.

"And yours?"

Serena felt her stomach flip. She didn't want to tell him her name.

"That's not important."

Dekker nodded. He reached into a bag he had been carrying with him and pulled out what looked to be a dead rabbit. He put it over the fire. After a while he looked at her.

"It's fresh. I killed it right before I found you. Eat up, stranger."

"No thanks," Serena shook her head.

"The forest can be a very dangerous place. You will need your energy. You can either eat or get some sleep."

Serena frowned. Sleep wasn't an option. It hadn't been when she was alone with Terran and it certainly wasn't now. She grabbed the rabbit and put a piece in her mouth. She had brought enough food with her to keep herself from starving but she was hungry and the rabbit, which she normally didn't like to eat, tasted good.

-Samurai-

Frankie looked the reporter in the eye.

"I'm really sorry," he said, "I can't put her in danger anymore."

The reporter gave him a growl. He had just confessed to his lies. He had confessed to being the one who came up with the plan to kidnap Emily and that the Rangers were simply doing their job and protecting the innocent. He couldn't explain why they had come after him to save Emily, but he couldn't let the lies go on.

"Are you sure?" the reporter asked him. The reporter had been coming in day after day to get Frankie's side of the story for the newspapers and magazines, and up until this day, Frankie had been more than willing to share. "Now's the time to talk. Normally, the one in prison never gets his voice heard. You have an opportunity. Take it."

Frankie was tempted but he remembered Emily and gulped, "What will the city do to her?"

The reporter leaned back, "I don't make up the stories, I just write them. C'mon, kid, give me something."

"I can't speak for the Rangers, but I'm done trying to come up with ideas on why they beat me up."

"You'll save an entire city a lot of grief," the reporter said. "If these Rangers are as dangerous as you say they are…"

"I don't want to put Emily in danger. She's innocent."

"Then tell the truth."

"I did," Frankie said. "I kidnapped Emily. I was the bad guy and the Rangers showed up. I don't know why, I don't know how, but they did."

"Maybe this will motivate you," the reporter leaned forward, "Since the Rangers rescued her, Emily's only been seen out in public once and they were out '_saving'_ the city. Conveniently enough, it gave us proof she wasn't the yellow Ranger. After that, she hasn't been seen again."

"What's your point?"

The reporter got up from his chair, "Your precious Emily might still be kidnapped. Maybe the Rangers didn't want to save her. Maybe they wanted her. One can only wonder what they could possibly have in mind."

"Wait a minute…"

"It was nice talking to you, Frankie. I hope you enjoy your time. I've got all I need."

-Samurai-

Kevin hadn't gotten any sleep that night, too worried about the rumours and how they could hurt him and the other Rangers.

He had fallen asleep once. Long enough for him to have a nightmare. The city had figured him and the Rangers out and had arrested them. They were brought into an underground bunker and one by one were interrogated. Kevin had never gotten to his own interrogation, but in his nightmare he knew that it wasn't just sitting in a room and answering questions. The authorities took no pity on the Rangers who time and time again had taken part in the destruction of the city and ended countless lives. Kevin knew it was impossible to save everyone once the Nighlok attacked, but he always tried to do as little damage and save as many people as possible.

Because it was a nightmare and logic need not prevail, every time someone was taken into the room to be questioned it was always Mia, and Kevin was always forced to listen as they tried to get out the truth they wanted to hear and Mia was too stubborn to just give up.

His waking mind kept flashing back to that. He knew it was extreme, but being caught could lead to a very bleak and perhaps painful future for the Rangers and he didn't want that.

He had her wrapped tightly in his arms as they lay in bed together. She was still asleep and by the looks of it she was either in a dreamless sleep, or she was having a pleasant dream, not a nightmare like him. After a while of his staring, she opened her eyes. She smiled up at him and he forced one out so as not to worry her. But he failed. Mia sat up and looked down at him.

"What?"

Kevin sat up as well and leaned against the headboard, "Another nightmare."

Mia nodded her head and took his hand, "There's nothing to worry about."

"How long until they find us?"

"They won't," she promised him and cuddled next to him, "This is really freaking you out, huh?"

"We can't fight back," Kevin said. "If they do catch us, we're done."

"No we're not, and they won't catch us. We're the Power Rangers. They can't catch us."

Kevin lowered his head and sighed. He didn't say anything he just pulled Mia in a little closer. At least if the Nighlok were the ones after them, Kevin could be sure of his death. He wasn't sure what the city would do to him or Mia if they caught him but he was sure they wouldn't keep them together.

-Samurai-

Serena didn't know when it happened, but she fell asleep. She figured she must have been out for a long time because when she awoke the sun was beating down on her through the trees. She stretched out her arms, hoping she had at least fallen asleep in a position that was comfortable for Terran. She expected to find him by her side but all she felt was dirt.

She shot up like a bullet, her heart pounding in her chest. She remembered running into Dekker and him remembering nothing of who she or Terran were. Terrified she had been played and Dekker had run off with her son, she pulled out her Samuraizer and instantly summoned her sword.

She had a look at her surroundings and her heart suddenly froze. Dekker hadn't walked off with Terran, he was right there, on the other side of the fire, gently rocking the still sleeping boy.

"Give me back my son," she growled and Dekker looked up.

"He's beautiful," Dekker replied. He made no move to hand Terran over but he didn't seem threatening at all and Terran seemed very comfortable in Dekker's arms, almost like he knew he was with his father.

But Dekker wasn't his father, not anymore. Mike was his father, James, quite possibly, could be his father. Serena would take anyone over Dekker.

"What makes you think you can hold him?" Serena approached Dekker and held her sword to his throat. She had no problem taking his head off and running away with Terran.

"You had fallen asleep," Dekker said, "You looked like you needed it. I just took him so nothing would happen. I didn't mean…"

Serena snatched Terran and backed away from Dekker. She rounded the fire and sat back in her spot, hugging her now crying son to her chest as she tried to soothe him.

"He's my son. No one protects him but me."

Dekker looked Serena in the eye, "Why are you out here?" he asked.

"Honestly, I could ask you the same question," Serena snapped, "Shouldn't you be rotting in hell or something?"

"You would still be up in a tree, completely sleep deprived if I hadn't come along," Dekker reminded her. "What have I done to hurt you?"

_Tried to kill my friends? _Serena thought to herself._ Kidnapped them, threatened them, kidnapped me, broke my heart, made me a mother, tried to take away my son. Abandoned me when you promised to help…_

Serena shook her head, "I just don't trust you."

"Well, you're here," Dekker said, "You're with me. You must trust me."

Serena pointed to her sword, "One wrong move and I will end your life. If you even look at my son…"

"I mean no harm," Dekker promised her.

Serena strapped Terran into the carrier and then strapped him to her chest. She collected her backpack and put it on. She looked to Dekker, "I've got to go."

"I can come with you."

"No, you can't," Serena said.

Dekker gestured to the forest, "Then what if I walk in the same direction as you? You can't tell me I can't do that."

"I've been through the creepy stalker story," Serena growled, "Unlike you, I'm actually going somewhere. So if you'll excuse me."

"Wait!" Dekker called. Serena didn't want to turn around, but she found herself doing so anyways. She saw Dekker had his arm stretched out and he was holding something. She gasped and snatched Terran's blanket from his hand.

"Where the hell did you get this?"

"It helped him sleep," Dekker said and pointed to Terran. "I assume it's special."

"Goodbye," Serena growled and this time she did leave. Dekker sighed. He lowered his head and walked back to his fire.

A little ways off, Dayu kept her distance. Dekker had no memory of Serena and had no memory of her. Since the yellow Ranger had wiped his memory she had tried, without success, to get back into his life but she couldn't get Dekker to let her in. So she was trapped admiring him from afar. Watching and waiting for the day he maybe decided to open his arms to her again.

Then this had happened. Fate had played its card again. Serena walked right back into Dekker's life and he treated her the way Dayu wanted to be treated. She had seen him caring for her over the night. He had fed her his food, letting her take everything she needed so she could get her energy back. When she fell asleep, he carefully moved her into a more comfortable position, close enough to the fire so she would be warm. He watched over her, and watched over her son.

Dayu knew she was a monster. In her Nighlok form she was hideous to the human eye. Not once, since the yellow Ranger had wiped Dekker memory, had she seen him transform. He wasn't scared of her like most humans were, but he wanted nothing to do with her and she was sure it was because she was a Nighlok.

"Our war continues, Serena," Dayu growled.


	62. Need To Do Something

James had been watching the news intensely since the start of the rumours. He couldn't believe the city was letting the lies get so out of hand. Everything that existed today was thanks to the Rangers. He knew they caused damage, he knew people died, but without the Power Rangers the damage done and the lives lost would have been worse, much worse.

After school he couldn't do anything but go to the bar and drink. He heard from Emily that Serena had to run off to keep Terran safe and she couldn't come back until all the problems in the city were fixed. James understood. He knew Terran needed to be protected and he wanted Serena safe as well, but he was scared. He was scared for her, scared for the Rangers and scared for himself.

He had talked to the principal about Serena's absence. The more she disappeared from the school, the more the principal was reluctant to take her back but someone, a friend of Mentor Ji's, he assumed, was part of the school board and his say was powerful enough for Serena to keep her job no matter how many times she disappeared.

Serena had explained it to James. Mentor Ji, despite the fact that he seemed to never leave the house, had many friends around the city who would work for him, making the lives of the Rangers a little easier. James could only guess Mentor had a bunch of friends in the police force, many friends in the hospital, many who were a part of the government and the military, and a few who worked local jobs. James was sure Ji even had a few friends who worked with the press to help keep the Rangers' identities secret. He was sure they were working overtime right now trying to do damage control.

Fortunately, Ji seemed to have a friend who was looking out for Serena's job. The principal of the school wasn't happy, but reluctantly promised to take her back in once she came back from her temporary transfer.

James just hoped she could come back.

"One more," he looked to the bartender but the man behind the counter shook his head.

"I think you're done," he took the glass from James, "Would you like me to call you a cab?"

James shook his head and sighed. All he could think about was Serena. Where was she? Was she safe? Was Terran safe? How long could she hide? What would happen if the city found her? What would happen if they found out about Terran? Surely the little boy he had come to love would be killed instantly… or maybe worse. Maybe they would run experiments on him. He was too young to be of any real danger, even in his Nighlok form, and if the city, the country, even, was trying to take on the Nighlok by themselves, they could use all the information they could get.

And where would that leave Serena?

He looked to the bartender, "Rangers, good or bad?"

"Good," the bartender said without hesitation and James lifted his head. The bartender just continued to do his work but gave James a few looks, "What about you?"

"Good. Of course good. They rescued that girl and, to be honest, they didn't do anything the cops wouldn't have done themselves."

"Emily?" the bartender asked and James nodded his head. The bartender sighed, "People fear power so they try to control it."

"Are all you bartenders good thinkers?"

"Nope," the bartender laughed, "Everyone just thinks we are because when they asked for our advice, they are normally too drunk to think for themselves."

"Point taken," James said.

"Emily's sister," the bartender said and James gave a quick suspicious look, "You're her boyfriend."

"How do you know?"

"You know Emily."

"How do you…"

"Get her to talk," the bartender said. "The city needs to hear her speak. The city needs to know she's okay and that the Rangers are good people."

James shook her head, "If you know everything, then you'll know she doesn't want to talk about it anymore. And she shouldn't have to."

"What's scarier? The past or the future?"

James didn't know if it was the alcohol or if he was just a smart man because he instantly caught on to what the bartender was saying. He nodded his head and got off the barstool. He put down some money on the counter for the bartender.

"Thanks."

"If you really need to convince her," the bartender said, "I have an old friend, we called him Ji, and he always used to tell us courage wasn't the absence of fear, but the power to push past your fears and stand up for what you believe in."

"Ji?"

"Just an old friend," the bartender nodded his head and then turned to another customer, almost as if he had forgotten about James entirely.

James walked out of the bar and saw a cab sitting on the side of the street, as if waiting for him.

"A lot of friends, huh," James muttered and walked up to the cab.

-Samurai-

Dayu stalked through the forest, keeping a close eye on Serena while she stuck to the shadows, keeping out of sight.

She had been following Serena since the previous morning, when Serena had walked away from Dekker. It hurt Dayu to see Dekker was still more in love with Serena than he ever had been in love with her, but what was worse, and what really enraged Dayu, was how Serena had taken advantage of him. She had accepted his hospitality, warmed herself by his fire, eaten his food, drank his water, and then set off without so much as a thank you, instead, choosing to voice her disdain for him.

As she followed Serena, a twig snapped under her foot. A normal person would have stopped at the sound, assumed it was just a squirrel or rabbit and continued on their way, but Serena was no normal person. She was a Samurai and a trained Ranger. She could smell danger coming and knew there were more to sounds than cute woodland creatures.

So Dayu jumped out of hiding and attacked.

-Samurai-

James got a ride up to the Shiba House and then made his way to the door himself. He was a little drunk, but not enough to be truly impaired. The bartender, whom James was sure was a friend of Ji's, had cut him off at just the right time.

He rang the doorbell and knew it would stir up a little panic inside the house. He only started to wonder if he should have just walked in when the door opened. James saw Emily. He gave her a quick look.

"What happened to you?" he pointed to the crutches.

"I'm a klutz, my sister is evil," Emily told him, "and Mike, Antonio, and I are having a crutches jumping contest in the common room."

"Sounds awesome," James said and he stepped inside the house. Emily looked up at him.

"You know Serena's not home, right?"

"I'm here to talk to you," James told her.

Emily could smell the alcohol on him and gave him a very strange look, "Drunk? You do remember you're dating my sister, right? You're still technically on probation."

"Talk to the reporters," James decided to just blurt out. Emily's eyes went wide with horror and she shook her head frantically.

"No."

"How long will Frankie's lies go on for?"

"It'll die down…"

James shook his head, "I watched the news this morning. Now people are speculating that the Rangers kidnapped you."

"What?"

"New story," James said, "Frankie is guilty of kidnapping you, then the Rangers kidnapped you from him."

"Where do they get these stories," Emily shook her head, "I was at the hospital with Serena! With my sister!"

"People will believe anything," James told her right before Mike came crashing out of the common room. He landed on his back on the hallway floor with crutches on either side of his body.

"New record," he said and held his head in his hands, "Ow."

"I told you you would get hurt," Mia's voice called out.

James shook his head and turned his attention back to Emily. He grabbed her arms and looked her right in the eyes.

"The city's coming after the Rangers. The country's right behind them. If you don't speak up soon, you're going to have so much more to explain than what happened over those few days with Frankie. You're going to have to explain your entire life."

Emily shook her head, "You're drunk."

"But I'm right. Frankie can't hurt you anymore, Emily, and talking about it won't hurt you. It could be the thing that saves you."

"Who's to say the city will even believe me?"

"Isn't it worth trying?"

-Samurai-

Serena had had some pretty bad headaches in her life, but this was definitely one of the worst.

She opened her eyes and could barely see through the dark. Fortunately, the moon was bright and the stars seemed even brighter, but it still wasn't enough for Serena to figure out where she was. She tried to move her hand to her head but couldn't.

"No…" she muttered and realized her arms were tied behind her back, knotted tightly so she couldn't work her way free.

She couldn't remember how she ended up like this. She could vaguely even remember why she was out in the forest to begin with.

Her head was still throbbing painfully and seemed to be getting worse, but she forced herself to sit up and look around. She remembered bringing Terran with her, hoping to keep him safe. Whatever had happened to her, she hoped he wasn't hurt as well.

"Terran?" she called into the dark forest, hoping she could pick up on the sound of his cries or his laugh or any sound at all that would tell her he was near, but she heard nothing. "Terran!" she screamed a little louder and stumbled up to her feet. The world spun around her and she had trouble keeping her balance with her hands behind her back but she had to find her son.

When she was up, she felt something against her chest and remembered she had put Terran in his carrier so she could hold him and use her hands while she walked, but the carrier had been pulled open, torn, even, and from what little Serena could see, there were stains of blood.

"TERRAN!" she screamed as loud as she could and started to run, but soon tripped on a root sticking out of the ground. She landed face first in the dirt, too sore to get up. She could barely tell because it was so dark, but her vision began to fade. Just before it was gone completely, she saw a figure standing over her. The figure knelt down to her side and gently lifted her up.


	63. The End of the Lies

The city had never really been Emily's friend. Despite how long she had been away from the country, she never stopped wishing she could be home in her small town, where everyone knew her name, everyone knew her business, and everyone knew she was not dangerous.

Now, in the big, crowded city, Emily felt very claustrophobic. Mike once admitted to her that he wasn't a fan of enclosed spaces and she now understood why.

All the other Rangers had agreed with James. The rumours and lies were spreading like wildfire and they were only getting worse. If she didn't talk to someone about what really happened and soon, there would be no recovering.

When she set foot into the city a crowd was drawn. Some people asking her if she was okay and others were screaming at her, furious that she would work with the Rangers to take down the city.

The boys weren't with her, but they were nearby, just in case something happened. They even had their Samuraizers with him. It was a last resort-worst-case-scenario escape plan to bring the Rangers in to rescue her if the crowd became too much or got too aggressive, but it needed to be a plan. Fortunately, they had many other escapes thought out that didn't require the Rangers to intervene.

Mia was in the circle with Emily. They had gone to the city together so many times that they figured it was best they go together. Putting Emily with someone she knew, someone who wasn't under suspicion would help the city believe she was back at home where she belonged and that the Rangers had actually rescued her, not kidnapped her.

Emily finished up explaining the story of her kidnapping. How she had never intended to lead Frankie on as part of a plan with the Rangers. She made the city believe she had genuinely been fooled by him when he told her he was housing her runaway friend. The tears in her eyes when she explained how he kidnapped and what he had done to keep her quiet really won over a number of people in the crowd.

"But the Rangers," a reporter pushed her way through aggressively with a microphone and got right up to Emily, "Why did they rescue you? What do you mean to them?"

"I don't know," Emily was really nervous about the lies, so nervous she was trembling, but from where Mia stood, it seemed to work in her favour. People were interpreting her signs of nervousness as fear and panic at having to relive her kidnapping and rescue. "I guess they were just nearby."

"What were they doing in the school?"

"In the school?" Emily furrowed her brow and looked to Mia who just shrugged. Emily turned back to the reporter, "All I know is that fortunately the Rangers were where they needed to be and they did what they needed to do. Frankie would have gotten away, with me in the back of the car, if it wasn't for them. The teachers at his school had no idea he was troubled, I was in his house for three days and his parents had no idea. The police were barely even any help or comfort to me…"

"I can assure you, the police are doing their jobs…"

"They have it all backwards," Emily shouted. She felt so trapped, so closed in by all the people and their questions and accusations against her and the Rangers were really starting to mess with her. "Everyone's got it backwards. I don't care what the Rangers did to Frankie; they're the ones who protected me! They've rescued me twice. And it's not just me they're rescuing, it's everyone! They're the only thing standing between our world and the monsters and you guys are hunting them down and causing chaos."

By now, the circle around Emily started to move back due to her outburst. Many reporters had lowered their microphones. The one, right next to Emily, still wasn't done, though.

"So, you're saying they're the good guys?"

"If they wanted to take over the city, don't you think they would have done so by now?"

"What happened to your knee?" the reporter asked. "Did the Rangers…?"

"The Rangers rescued me from Frankie and let my sister take me home," Emily growled. "I told her what happened, how Frankie lured me in and how I couldn't defend myself, and she taught me some self-defence."

"Why didn't you tell the police sooner?"

"Because I was scared," Emily whispered, "Frankie put me through a lot and I didn't want to go through it all again. I didn't know what to say but now I have to say something because you guys are spreading rumours about the Rangers."

If there was one thing Mia loved about Emily it was her ability to get people to fall for her. Emily was the little sister. The innocent little sister everyone couldn't help but love. That was her role in the team, and by the looks on the faces of the people in the crowd, it was the role she was starting to make for herself in the city.

Mia decided that if she played her cards right, she could really win them over. She wrapped her arms around Emily, as if hiding her from the crowd to make her seem a little more vulnerable.

"You've said enough," she whispered but it was loud enough for the city to hear it. Emily still had tears in her eyes as she looked at Mia hopefully.

"I have?"

"You know the truth," Mia nodded. She really wanted to drive the point home, "The Rangers can take care of themselves. All that matters is you're home safe and sound and Frankie's getting the help he needs."

Emily smiled and followed Mia away from the crowd, leaving the people of the city with something to think about.

"I know what my next story is going to be," one reporter said with a smile as she began to write stuff down on a notepad. "I always knew it. The Rangers are the heroes we thought they were."

Another person nodded his head, "I guess she's right. The Rangers have so much power already that if they wanted to take over the city, they would have done so by now."

"And look at her," a third person said and pointed to Emily, who Mia had taken to a bench and was sitting with her to help her calm down, "My guess is, she's just happy to be home safe and sound, and it's all thanks to the Rangers. They do a lot more good than harm."

"Frankie was spewing lies from the start, that's my guess," another added and the crowd started to disperse until there were only a few people left. One of them pulled out a phone.

Over at the Shiba House, Mentor Ji had seen the gathering on the news. Emily's appearance in the city and her willingness to talk had come up as breaking news and he saw everything unfold live. As the crowd got small and smaller, he had a bright smile on his face.

Suddenly, his phone went off. His morpher had been destroyed by Dayu and Dekker when they kidnapped Emily and Amanda, so Antonio had been working on making him a new one, similar to his Samurai Morpher. For now it could accept calls and it could communicate with the Samuraizers, but soon Antonio promised to program it to make symbols. It was hard work getting a regular phone to work like a Samuraizer, especially when Ji refused to text symbols. He was old fashioned.

"I saw," he said with his big smile when he answered the phone. "She pulled it off. Your little announcements at the end really sealed it, though. I don't think we'll have much to worry about."

"Maybe a few skeptics here and there," the voice on the other end said, "but nothing too out of the ordinary. Nothing to put the Rangers at risk anymore. Once the hype dies down, I'm sure everything will go back to what it once was."

"No covers were blown?"

"No one suspects a thing. Although Serena's boyfriend knows about Clarke, but I doubt that'll be much of a problem. He can keep his mouth shut."

"Just make sure the articles about the Rangers shine a good light on them. It's for everyone's good."

"I know," with that, the line was dead. Ji leaned back in his seat, finally able to relax. There had been a few close calls with the Rangers before, but nothing like this.

"Now we just need to get Serena and Terran home," he said and got up to check the map. She had taken her Samuraizer with her and had been instructed not to take calls but the Rangers could still track her down. They would have to go out and find her, but with Mike getting stronger and stronger with his forest element, Ji didn't think it would be a problem.

-Samurai-

When Serena awoke again it was midday. The sun was directly above her, reminding her she was outside and still on the run in the forest. Her head was pounding, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad as it had been before.

The ropes around her wrists had been cut, and the burns from the ropes looked as though they had been treated. When she touched her head, she felt it had been wrapped in a bandage. She had no idea who, but someone had taken care of her.

"Here," a wooden bowl fell into her line of sight from over her shoulder, "It's water. You should drink something."

Serena still couldn't remember why she was so beaten up, but she did remember one thing: Terran was supposed to be by her side and he wasn't. She couldn't think about drinking, eating, or taking care of herself until he was back with her, safe and sound. She tried to get up but instantly the ground began to spin and she stumbled.

"Terran…" she felt so weak and pathetic as she muttered his name from the dirt. Two strong yet gentle hands picked her up and pulled her into a chest. The bowl was presented to her again and she was forced to drink the water.

"I'm really sorry," the voice of whoever had taken care of her said. Serena was still a little too out of it to care who it belonged to. She put all her energy into thinking about Terran anyways, "I came as soon as I heard the scream, but I guess I was too late. She took off with him."

"Who?" Serena turned around and finally saw his face, "You…"

Dekker nodded his head, "I know you didn't want me following you, but when I heard the scream…"

"What did you do to him?" Serena pulled away from Dekker. "Where is my son?"

"She must have taken him," Dekker said but he saw the look of confusion on Serena's face and figured he couldn't remember the attack. "There's someone else in this forest. She lurks around, from time to time."

"Who?" Serena asked but she felt she already knew the answer. With Dekker, there was always…

"She calls herself Dayu. Occasionally Dalia."

Serena looked to Dekker horrified and suddenly broke down crying. She was on her knees and folded over into a ball, hiding her face behind her arms and in the dirt as she sobbed and screamed Terran's name into the ground, causing a slight tremor.

Dekker moved in closer to Serena. He put his hand on her back and stroked gently, "It's okay," he whispered.

Serena shook her head. Her body trembled furiously as she tried to wrap her head around her current situation: Terran's situation, "Dayu… she… she…"

"I know where she hides," Dekker said. "She sits by the stream. It's about a day's walk away from here. If she's taken him anywhere…"

Serena looked up at Dekker, anger and blood in her eyes, "Where?"

"You shouldn't go," Dekker told her. He pushed himself up to his feet, "I will go after him."

"I don't trust you," Serena said. She wanted to get up but as soon as she tried she fell back to the ground again, too dizzy to stay on her feet.

"I will get you your son back," Dekker looked her right in the eye. He wasn't too sure why he wanted to help her. He felt connected to her, and right away he felt connected to the child. He wanted to keep them both safe. For reasons he couldn't explain he wanted to take care of them.

Serena looked up at Dekker and she saw something in him she hadn't seen in a long time. She saw a human. She saw the man she had fallen in love with, the man she had given herself to, and the man who had given her Terran. Whatever Emily had done, it seemed to have brought back the good side to Dekker, and without Urumasa controlling his every move he seemed even gentler than ever before.

He smiled at her reassuringly, "I promise, I will do anything it takes to give you your son. Just rest up and if you need my help, scream. I'll find you."

Serena nodded her head. She couldn't help but trust him at this moment. She watched as he ran off and made a note of which way he went, just in case she soon found herself able to go after him.

"Serena!" she heard her name being called, followed shortly by many footsteps pounding against the ground. Leaves crackles, twigs snapped and she knew she was being searched for. "Serena!"

The Rangers. The voices belonged to the Rangers. Before they found her, she ripped the bandage from her head and removed all signs that Dekker had been nearby. If they found out she had run into him, and if they knew Terran was gone, they weren't going to let him get far. Serena needed him to reach Dayu in time, trusting that he was the only one who could talk her into giving up Terran.

"Serena!" Emily's voice called and the Rangers finally found her lying in the dirt. Emily dropped beside her sister to check up on her, "What happened to you?"

"The forest hates me," Serena said, trying to keep calm but she knew it was only a matter of time before they noticed she was alone.

"It can't hate you," Mike chuckled and pulled her up. He had to hold her upright because her world continued to spin in all directions, "The forest and the earth are so closely connected. And I'm not just saying that."

"Just get me home," Serena said. Mike nodded his head and he was about to start back when he remembered something.

"Where's Terran?"

Serena gulped and closed her eyes. She tried to hold back the tears as she forced her answer out, "He's gone."

Mike dropped Serena and the Rangers all froze up. Just to be sure they heard Serena right, they looked around but there was no sign of their beloved nephew.

Emily stood over Serena, "What happened?" she asked.

"I…"

"Where is he?" Emily screamed. Jayden pulled her away from Serena.

"I can't be sure," Serena answered.

"We should get her home," Antonio suggested and he helped Serena to stand. Mike was still in too much shock to help her home and Emily seemed pissed.

"We'll turn up the Gap Sensors," Kevin promised Mike while Mia and Jayden worked on getting Emily to leave the forest and head home. "Terran's a Nighlok so he will show up. We'll track him down just like we did Serena."

"You track him down," Mike said and turned to leave, "I'm going to…"

"Come home with us," Kevin grabbed Mike's arm and pulled him back in, "We've been through enough, already. I, for one, was scared and I'm relieved this rumour thing is coming to an end."

"I couldn't give a crap about the rumours."

"Don't run off," Kevin started to pull Mike in the direction of the Shiba House, "We'll need you at home. The less drama we can cause, the better, and the faster we'll get back to normal again."

"But…"

"You want to propose to Emily again, right?" Kevin asked and Mike nodded his head. The blue Ranger gave Mike another tug on the arm, "Do you think she's going to want to marry the man who ran away, into the face of danger without telling her? Doing the very thing she did that broke your engagement in the first place? Whoever took Terran was strong enough to get past Serena. You don't stand a chance alone."

Kevin tugged one final time and Mike started to follow, "It'll all be over soon," he promised.


	64. The Hero

The closer Dekker got to the river, the more he started to hear the baby's cries_._

_Terran, _he thought to himself, _the baby's name is Terran._

For as long as Dekker could remember he had been alone, so he couldn't imagine what it was like to be ripped away from someone he loved. All he could imagine was that it was unbearable, especially for someone as young as Terran. Though he wasn't even sure Terran knew what was going on. Were the cries screams for his mother, or were they just cries?

Dekker wouldn't find out. He slowed to a walk as he reached a small clearing by the river. He spotted Dayu, the monstrous woman who proclaimed her love for him before telling him her name. She was sitting by the river, holding the baby into the ground as if trying to restrain him. Dekker could tell the child was too young and too fragile to get up and walk off on his own, making Dayu's excessive force very unnecessary.

"He is not yours," Dekker said, announcing his presence. Dayu immediately let go of the screaming baby and whipped her head around to look at him. There was nothing but joy on her face.

"Dekker, you came to me."

"I came for the boy," Dekker pointed to the baby, "he is not your child."

Dayu looked down at the baby, unsure of what she wanted to do. When she had spotted Serena in the forest she wanted to kill her, but putting an end to Serena's life wouldn't cause her the same misery Dayu had lived with for centuries, so her plan was to steal her son: take away the thing Serena loved most and kill it, which was very similar to what Serena and the Rangers had done to her. Dekker couldn't remember anything and was as good as dead.

But whenever she tried to kill Terran she would see his eyes. He had his father's eyes and Dayu couldn't, wouldn't kill or harm what belonged to Dekker. Though she hated it, Serena's baby was also Dekker's baby.

She would never tell him that, though. That would only build a bridge between Dekker and Serena that Dayu was working so hard to burn.

"Why are you helping her?" Dayu asked, never leaving the baby's side. Just because she couldn't hurt him, didn't mean she was ready to give him back. She wanted to hurt Serena.

"Because I'm not a monster."

"You judge me based on my appearance."

"You haven't proven me wrong," Dekker shrugged. He held out his hand, "Give me the baby and I'll let you go free."

Dayu scoffed, "You can't hurt me."

"You can't hurt me," Dekker replied, "I can see it in your eyes."

Dayu growled under her breath and knew he was right, but she wouldn't just hand over the baby. It would be giving up.

Terran's screams were louder now. He wasn't being held down but he felt abandoned. There was no one near him to hold him, no one to protect him. Dayu winced at the sound, irritated and hurt by it.

"Give me the baby," Dekker asked again. "He belongs with his mother."

The mention of Serena, Dayu's failed plan, Dekker's insistence to help Serena even though he had no idea who she was and Terran's screams pushed her over the edge. She picked up Terran and threw him into the lake before getting up and running away. Dekker could either follow her, or go rescue Serena's baby.

It was his choice.

-Samurai-

The Rangers quickly got Serena back to the Shiba House and Mentor Ji had a look at her injuries. None were really bad except the one on her head, and most seemed to have already been treated and healed. Ji questioned it, but Serena gave no answers. He simply thought she was too worried about Terran.

Emily was. While Serena was being looked at the yellow Ranger paced back and forth. Ji insisted many times that Emily take a seat to take some weight off her leg, but Emily couldn't hear him. Eventually, Mike ended up grabbing her gently by the arms and then pulling her into a hug, the entire time he reminded himself that he couldn't lose control. The only way to do that was to be strong for her.

Kevin, Mia, Jayden, and Antonio were in the common room, looking at the map. There was no regular Nighlok activity anywhere, which was a good sign, but at the same time panic began to set in. The last time there had been no Nighlok activity, the danger had been just as horrible, maybe worse.

"We'll find Terran's signal," Jayden said as he started to turn up the Gap Sensor's sensitivity, "Once we have it, we go in, the four of us."

"Four?" Kevin asked and he glanced over to the dojo, where Mentor was still treating Serena.

"They're in no condition for a rescue," Antonio insisted, showing Mia and Kevin that he agreed with Jayden. "All we need to do, anyways, is go in, grab the kid, and get out. Serena just wants him back. I doubt she'll care how we did it, or who did it once Terran's safe and sound."

Kevin had to agree with that point and as he nodded his head the Gap Sensor went off, just as they all expected it to. Jayden silenced it so they could hear their thoughts. Kevin looked at the flashing light above him, then started to lower his head to look at the map. Before his eyes could focus on the map he felt a cool wind blow past him and turned to look at Mia. She was gone.

"Mia?" he looked down at the hallway and just managed to catch a glimpse of her before she disappeared outside. Kevin turned back to Antonio and Jayden and saw the expression on their faces: shock. He finally got a good look at the map and understood why.

Three signals had appeared. Three signals that hadn't been present until the Sensors were made more sensitive. That could only mean one thing to Kevin.

"Dekker and Dayu…"

"They're back," Jayden nodded his head and rushed out of the house, followed closely by Antonio and Jayden.

-Samurai-

Mia ran as fast as she could through the woods. The good thing about the Samuraizers was that they were connected to the map and she still had Terran's signal on her screen. She wasn't sure which of the three signals he was, but she was betting he was part of the group of two.

The trip out to the forest was a long one. It had been a trip that had taken Serena several days of stop and go, and it had taken the Rangers several hours of non-stop walking. They had left to find Serena immediately after calming the city and putting an end to the lies.

But Mia had a better idea of where she was going after the one trip out and back, and her determination to get to Terran before Dekker or Dayu could do anything to him propelled her forward even faster. She was light on her feet already, but was certain her symbol power was making her even lighter, as if, instead of running, she was flying through the forest.

It took a while, but eventually she did make it close enough to Terran where she could hear his screams. It was both amazing and painful to hear. She knew he was still alive, but he was not a happy boy.

"Mia!" she heard Kevin calling from behind her and the boys were catching up but she wouldn't stop. If Dayu was involved, so was she.

She burst through the trees, into the clearing by the river and saw Dekker holding Terran in his arms. She was exhausted from running, but the sight was enough to give her her second wind, literally. She pulled her Samuraizer from her pocket and created a storm. She directed her strong winds right at Dekker, tearing him away from Terran while gentle, warm winds wrapped around Terran, cradling him comfortably.

For the second time that day, Dekker found himself in the water. When he surfaced, he looked up and saw three angry faces glaring at him. No one seemed willing to help him out of the water.

"I mean no harm," he promised. "Dayu, she took him. I was getting him back."

The trio of men exchanged looks. Dekker wasn't even sure they were after him because of the baby, but given the way the woman attacked him, the way she was hugging the little boy now, and the way the men were standing before him, ready to kill, he could only assume they were here for Terran.

"Dayu?" the man in the middle asked. Dekker nodded his head.

"He's worked with Dayu once before," the man to the left whispered to the man in the middle.

"I have never worked with Dayu," Dekker said. He pulled himself from the river and wrung out his clothes. "I have been alone for as long as I can remember."

"Then how do you know Dayu?" the man to the right asked.

"She's been following me, insisting we were in love but I do not remember such things. Never would I love her. Never would I work with her."

"We have Terran," the man to the right said and then he turned to the woman, "Mia, we should go. He's probably starving. The sooner we get him home, the better."

Dekker watched as the group who attacked him walked off with Terran. They seemed trustworthy enough, and they had been able to sooth Terran in a way he couldn't. For now he would trust them.

But if he ever found out that they had done something to Terran aside from getting him home to his mother, they would have hell to pay.

-Samurai-

By now, Serena knew the other Rangers had gone out to rescue Terran, but she had no idea where they had gone. Mentor Ji had turned off the map and was keeping guard which prevented her from turning it on and having a look.

She was going out of her mind, desperate to find her son. Her head was still pounding and it was hard to pace the room, but it was all she could do to keep herself from losing it.

"Serena…"

"Shut up," Serena snapped at Mentor, "You, of all people, should know what it's like."

"You must remain calm…"

"I'm beaten up so bad I can't remember it happening and the person who did this to me kidnapped my son!" Serena screamed. "Fuck being calm! Fuck you, Ji!"

Ji knew not to take her words personally.

"I'm sorry, Serena," he said and Serena fell to her knees, trembling in panic. Ji got up from and took a seat next to her on the ground. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. He didn't know how long he would stay like this, with her in his arms, but he knew he could sit here with her for a long, long time. As long as she needed.

Down the hall, in their own room, Mike and Emily were also worried. Emily was in a state very much like Serena, only without the outburst, and Mike was trying to stay strong.

They lay in the bed, in each other's arms. Mike held Emily in his arms as she wept and he gently kissed the top of her head.

"The others are gone," he kept reminding her, "That means they know where Terran is…"

"What if he's dead?" Emily asked. Mike shook his head. This time he kissed her lips.

"He's not dead. You've had enough bad luck. We've all had enough bad luck."

Emily wrapped her arms a little tighter around Mike and closed her eyes. Mike watched her for a long time. He saw her breathing even out and eventually she fell asleep. He gave her another kiss on the forehead and then looked up at the ceiling. For a quick moment he closed his eyes, hoping that Terran would land between him and Emily like he seemed to be doing all the time lately, but it never happened. He opened his eyes again and sighed.

Back in the common room, after a couple of hours, Serena had finally been calmed by Mentor Ji, to the point where she was on the verge of falling asleep just like Emily. She was so weak and scared and desperate that there was nothing she could do for herself anymore.

Ji picked her up and laid her across the couch. He draped a blanket over her and promised that when she woke up, Terran would be with her in her arms. Serena believed him but only to an extent. She knew Terran would be back soon, but she was scared that when he did return to her, he would be dead.

When she opened her eyes again she felt a weight on her chest. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep for, and she didn't want to find out by opening her eyes. Opening her eyes would only confirm that the weight on her chest was Terran, and then she would find out that Dayu had killed him. She wanted to keep her eyes closed and fall asleep again, so she could escape this reality, until she heard a small noise. It was somewhere between a coo and a grunt. Instantly her eyes were opened and she spotted Terran on her chest, cuddling up to her happily. Aside from a few bruises that did have Serena slightly worried, he was okay. His eyes were closed but his eyelids were moving, as though he was dreaming. He was sleeping on his stomach, so his upper back was rising and fallen as he breathed and when Serena really focused, she could feel his heart beating against her chest. She wrapped her arms around her son and hugged him gently as she sat up. She showered him with kisses and cuddles, accidentally waking him up, but Terran didn't seem to mind at all.

"Finally," she heard Kevin whispering behind her and assumed he had kept an eye on her and Terran as they slept. She ignored him, but he didn't seem to mind. He just watched the scene as Serena cried and smothered her son with love. She was relieved but still terrified. Happy and enraged.

Kevin just smiled. He had been so panicked over the last few days but now he could finally rest. The city was back to normal, his family was home, everyone was safe and sound and no one was being threatened anymore. He let a few tears slip down his own cheeks, happy the nightmares could finally stop and he could go back to his normal life of having fun with his friends and kicking Nighlok butt.

Dealing with the human side of life, and the dangers they posed to his family was so much harder than dealing with the Nighlok. He, Jayden, Antonio, and Mia hadn't even been forced to fight when they had faced Dekker. They hadn't even seen Dayu.

"I think I like the Nighlok better than people," Kevin said but Serena wasn't listening. He knew he would be ignored as long as Terran was in the room. Now that Serena was awake he didn't have to keep his eye on her and Terran anymore so he got up and walked to the kitchen. Mia was working with Antonio on making a very late dinner. After the days they had been through, the team had agreed that they would all eat together and wind down.

"Mind if I steal her away, Antonio?" Kevin asked and Antonio nodded his head. There wasn't much left to do in the kitchen, and nothing he couldn't do on his own.

When Kevin and Mia got to their room he pulled her into a kiss. Mia smiled when she pulled away from him and then placed her hands on his chest.

"While you were watching Serena and Terran, I googled the city. We're heroes again."

"Don't remind me," Kevin rolled his eyes. He wanted to move on.

"There's something else. Frankie…"

"What has the son of a bitch done now?"

Mia smirked. She took Kevin's hand and walked him to her desk. She had borrowed Antonio's laptop to do the research and kept it in the room. She opened up a webpage and Kevin saw a video of Frankie had been uploaded. Mia played the video, which was an apology from Frankie. It was addressed to the Rangers, to Emily, and to Emily's family. He admitted to everything he had done, admitted he needed help, and at the end of the video he thanked Emily's brother for helping him realize his mistakes.

When the video ended, Mia looked up at Kevin, "Unless Jayden or Antonio were also sneaking off…"

"He actually listened to me?"

"Sorry I doubted you," Mia said with a smile, "It seems, in the end, you were right to visit him. When he realized you were right, he told a reporter. That caused the story to change, making Emily seem more innocent, which, in the end, helped her out when she went to tell everyone her side of the story. I guess that makes you the hero."

Kevin beamed brightly. He had had his victories before, but this one felt special. He had saved everybody.


	65. Samurai Games

Laughs, smiles, jokes, and fun; that was the atmosphere in the Shiba House.

It had been a few days since Terran had been returned to Serena, and every day since had gotten better and better. Terran, despite some bruising, seemed perfectly fine with his family, as if his kidnapping had never occurred. The rumours about Emily being a Ranger had ceased completely thanks to Serena taking her place, and none of the Rangers were under suspicion any longer which meant they had little to worry about with the exception of the Nighlok, but after everything they had been through, they felt they could easily take on the next Nighlok.

The Rangers, and even Terran, were gathered in the common room after training and having some fun. Mentor Ji had relaxed their schedule quite a bit, knowing they would need the time to wind down and have fun. He had even decided he would join the Rangers in their games, though he wasn't too sure what he was playing. It seemed the Samurai were making up the rules as they went.

"Alright, Em," Jayden clapped his hands together as he tried to think of something to do to Emily. Her game piece on the board had landed on a tile that made her skip a turn, but the Rangers had agreed that she could choose to ignore the rules if she did the dare that the leader of the game, in this case Jayden, asked her to do.

Emily, who was lying across her stool, buried her head in her arms as she awaited the dare. She was in dead last in the game and couldn't afford to miss a turn.

"Nothing too bad," Serena came to Emily's defence and then laughed, "she's babysitting for me tonight. Terran's suffered enough."

Jayden chuckled and nodded his head, "Emily, you will… kiss the bottom of Mike's foot."

Kevin nearly choked on the water he was drinking. Mentor made a face he would never be able to make again. Mia looked like she was going to pass out. Antonio gave Emily an apologetic look, but laughed along with Jayden.

Serena just gave her sister a pat on the back, "It was nice knowing you, squirt. Mia, can you babysit tonight?"

"Dude, my feet aren't that bad," Mike pulled off his shoes and socks and had a whiff. He made a face but tried to hide it.

"That's deadly!" Emily cried out, "I wouldn't kiss his foot after he's showered! He's still all sweaty from training and… and I can smell it from here!"

She scooted her stool away from Mike and looked to Jayden pleadingly, "Please, please don't make me do it."

"You love him, don't you?"

"Fine then, but you have to kiss Antonio's foot."

"That's not the rule…"

"New rule," Mia smirked and quickly wrote it down on the notepad the Rangers had taken out to keep track of all their new rules, "Daree can challenge the darer."

"Why do you always take her side?" Jayden frowned. Mia shrugged her shoulders.

"Because if you kill Emily I'll be the only girl."

"What about me?" Serena frowned, "Last I checked, I'm a girl."

Mia hesitated for a moment and then smirked, "I like Emily better."

"Fair enough," Serena nodded and put her hand up, "I agree to the new rule, just because I want to see Jayden kiss Antonio's foot."

"I agree!" Emily's hand went up immediately after Serena's. Then she nudged Mike. He put his hand up and then raised Terran's hand in the air and grinned at the others.

"Majority rules."

"Terran isn't playing," Jayden frowned, "He can't vote. It's a tie and I vote against the new rule."

"Same," Antonio said, voting with Jayden.

"Kissing feet is too gross," Kevin shook his head, "Sorry, Mia, I'm against."

All eye turned to Mentor. Unless the girls and Mike could get his vote, the rule would be a no-go.

"I have always believed…"

"Mike needs to shower more often," Emily wrinkled her nose and Mike shot her a look. She just shrugged her shoulders, telling him she stood by her statement.

Ji chuckled, "No… well, yes, but I have always believed that a leader should never ask his team to do anything he wouldn't do himself. I vote yes to the new rule."

"Mentor!" Jayden cried, unable to believe Ji would vote against him but the older man laughed.

"I'm just being fair."

Jayden sighed and turned to Emily, "Alright, you first."

"Nahuh," Emily shook her head, "You're team leader, you go first."

Jayden looked down at Antonio's feet as the sock came off. Fortunately, Antonio's foot did not smell as bad as Mike's did. Jayden closed his eyes and leaned in, pretending he was pressing his lips against anything but the bottom of Antonio's foot.

He pulled his lips away as soon as they touched, "There," he said and looked to Emily, "Done. Your turn."

Emily gulped. Mike wiggled his toes, as if teasing her for the shower comment.

"He smells like feet half the time anyways," Serena shrugged her shoulders and laughed, "You can do it, Emy."

"These comments are not appreciated," Mike said and held his foot in front of Emily's face. She was cross-eyed as she stared at it, which made Terran laugh. He was obviously enjoying the scene.

"Just get it over with," Mia encouraged Emily. The yellow Ranger nodded her head, closed her eyes and kissed Mike's foot. It was the most disgusting thing she had ever put to her lips and she gagged slightly when she pulled away.

"You need stronger soap," Emily looked over to Mike with a stare as she reached for her glass of water.

"Everyone stinks after training," Mike reminded her, "Even you."

"Not like that."

"I didn't have time to shower, okay," Mike reached beside himself for his sock but found it was missing. He looked to where he had put it, then glanced up. Somewhere between the time he had taken it off and now, Terran had reached for the sock, managed to get it in his hand, and he put it in his mouth, like he did with everything else he got his hands on.

The minute the sock touched his lips he started to cry. Emily took him from Serena's lap and hugged him.

"I know, Terran. I can still taste it too."

"Fine," Mike grumbled and got up while the others continued to laugh, "I'll go shower."

"I love you!" Emily called with a laugh and Mike waved it off playfully. They were all just teasing, but he would have to come up with a payback eventually.

As he walked out of the common room he nearly bumped into James. He gave the older man a slightly curious look before he shrugged his shoulders and continued off to the shower.

James held up a key and Serena quickly explained, "He gave me one, so I gave him one."

"I hope you don't mind," he said to the Rangers as he sat down on Mike's stool, taking the spot between Serena and Emily, "I thought I would stop by early."

"We don't mind at all," Serena said with a smile as she gave James a kiss. It was the first time she had seen him since she had to run away with Terran. The original plan was that they go out to dinner so she could explain to him what happen, and they could have a date night, but having him stop by early was even better. It gave her more time with him.

"You can take Mike's turn," Emily said and passed over the dice to James, "He had to leave for an emergency shower."

"Emergency shower?" James asked curiously.

"You didn't smell it when you almost bumped into him?" Kevin laughed.

"He smelt fine to me," James shrugged.

"Thank you!" Mike called from the other side of the house. The Rangers laughed. James, however, was still lost. Serena gently tapped his cheek and then explained to the others.

"James coaches the boys' football team. He's used to… odours…"

"Then here you go," Emily placed Terran in James' lap, "He made an odour. I think you'll find it very pleasant."

"Aren't you the aunt?" James gave Emily a look.

"Step-father training."

"I would need to propose to your sister, first."

"I'll propose for you if you change his diaper."

"Now look who likes me," James teased her and gave Terran back to her to change before he rolled the dice on the board, "Nine, sweet… who am I?"

"You're the green piece," Kevin said as he moved the piece nine spaces and then he started to laugh.

"What does the orange space mean?" James asked and Mia passed him the notepad of rules they had made up. She pointed to the one that applied to him. The colour drained from James' face.

"You Samurai suck."

Serena planted a kiss on his lips then cupped his face in her hands, "Always remember I love you."

-Samurai-

James was sitting at the table with his elbow propped up on the table and his head in his hand. He was rolling his food back and forth on his plate. Serena still couldn't keep herself from laughing.

"I hate your family," James told her. Serena took his hand.

"I'll wash off," she assured him.

"Not with the paint your sister used."

"It's really not that bad," Serena said. James rolled his eyes and reached onto his plate. He took a bite out of his carrot and Serena did all she could to stifle her laugh, but a small chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm sorry."

"Are you having a good time at least?"

"An awesome time," she smiled and squeezed his hand, "C'mon, Bugs, I know you're having a good time too. Admit it; you love to hate my family."

James rolled his eyes, "I love to hate your family. Especially your demon sister."

Serena beamed happily and bounced slightly in her seat, "Do the nose twitch thing again!"

James sighed, "Only for you," he twitched his nose and Serena laughed again. She leaned across the table and gave him another kiss.

"Really, I think you look cute as a bunny," she told him. James laughed and twitched his nose again.


	66. Terran's Bruises

Emily stood in the doorway to Mia and Kevin's room with Terran on her hip. While Serena was out for the night on a date with James, she was in charge of Terran. She had done everything she needed to do, from playtime to feeding, but when she gave Terran his bath, she couldn't help but notice the bruises on her nephew, reminding her that for a few hours, Terran had been in the hands of someone she didn't know or trust.

From the story Serena was telling, she couldn't remember who attacked her. Emily wanted to believe her sister was telling the truth, but she had a strange feeling, based on the way her sister avoided the matter completely now that it was over, that Serena was lying.

Mike had been at the Shiba House when Terran's rescue party when to save him, so Emily knew he would have no idea who took Terran.

That left Mia.

The pink Ranger saw Emily by her door and smiled, thinking Emily was just coming by with Terran so everyone could wish him a good night before he went to sleep.

"There's my favourite little man," Mia said and plucked Terran from Emily's arms.

Kevin, who was on the bed reading a book before he fell asleep, cleared his throat. Mia looked to him and frowned.

"What? I said little man. Don't be jealous."

Kevin chuckled and shook his head before diving back into his book. Emily focused on the cover, recognizing the design.

"Haven't you read that book a million times?"

"Fifty-four times," Kevin nodded, "Art of the Samurai Life. You should read it."

Emily instantly stuck out her tongue and made a face, "Big book, small words… reading that would be like trying to read alphabet soup."

"I can read it to you," Kevin suggested.

Emily shook her head, "No thanks, I actually want to do something with the rest of my life."

"It won't take… never mind."

Mia gave Terran back to Emily when she saw the little boy was really getting tired and it was time for bed. Now back in Emily's arms, Terran laid his head on her shoulder and closed his eyes to sleep, unable to wait to be placed in his crib.

"You've tuckered him out," Mia laughed and gently stroked Terran's back, "Think you'll babysit my kids? I know that'll come in handy."

Emily shifted Terran slightly so she could hold him properly. She looked up at Mia, right in the eyes.

"Where did you find him?"

Mia gave Emily a slightly troubled look before she turned to Kevin. They hadn't meant to keep the information from Emily, but the matter had never come up. When Terran had come home, everyone had been so relieved he was back, they didn't question what happened. But now that Emily was asking the question, and the answer flashed in her mind, Mia wasn't too sure what to say. She wasn't even really sure herself of what happened. She had found Terran with Dekker, and when she checked the map Dayu's signal had been in the area. Dekker said he meant no harm and only wanted to rescue Terran from Dayu, but he had been the one with Terran in his hands, not Dayu. Either way, Mia would have a score to settle with Dayu later, but she didn't want to worry Emily.

"Does it matter? He's safe now. I bet he's forgotten all about it."

"It matters to me," Emily said. "Serena says she doesn't remember. Whoever kidnapped Terran beat her up bad. There's no telling what he could have done to Terran. What did he do to Terran?"

Emily looked at the bruises on Terran's arms and legs, and knew there were a few more under his clothes.

"Emily…"

"Serena's not asking and there has to be a reason. We all know Serena wouldn't just sit back and be thankful Terran was okay. She would kill."

"Maybe she knows not to look a gift horse in the mouth," Kevin suggested. The last thing he wanted to do was get into an argument between Emily and Mia, but he felt he had to jump in to help Mia. "Terran's safe with us. Whoever hurt Serena surely can't get past all of us. Let's just be happy Terran's safe. Let's be happy we're all safe."

Emily turned away from Kevin and looked back at Mia, "Please tell me."

Mia wanted to blurt it out, but she didn't know how. How to phrase it. How to keep Emily calm. She didn't think there was a way. She was looking right at Emily, the same Emily who ran away without telling anyone so she could erase Dekker's memories of Serena and Terran. Whether or not the symbol Emily used was still stopping him from remembering who Terran and Serena were, a connection had been made again. If Dekker wasn't telling the truth, and he had, in fact, kidnapped Terran, it was possible the symbol hadn't worked. If the symbol had, and Dekker had been telling the truth, that just brought up more questions. Why did he care about Terran? He had mentioned he was getting him back, but to whom? Did that mean he had seen Serena? Did he interact with her at all? Rescuing Terran for her meant he still cared, but why? How?

Mia took Terran from Emily's arms, "You should put him in the crib. You don't want him to get into the habit of falling asleep in your arms."

As Mia left to put Terran down, Kevin could almost literally hear Emily's heart shatter. He looked to her sadly, and when she turned to him he knew what she was asking. She wanted the truth.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. He had to take Mia's side, trusting she had her reasons. She was a lot better at stuff like this. Though his meddling with Frankie had saved the day, he knew it was just luck. He was good at leading the team, but when it came to emotions, Mia was the best at calling the shots.

"If it was nothing serious you would have told me," Emily said and Kevin lowered his head. She was right.

"I promise, Emily, Terran's not in any danger any…"

"Don't talk to me," Emily turned right around and stormed off. Kevin looked down at his book and sighed.

"So much for happy times."

Unfortunately, as he tried to get back to his reading, the words started to jumble on the page like alphabet soup. He groaned and closed the book, positive it was his guilt acting up. He got under the blankets and turned off his lamp. He closed his eyes to sleep, but almost instantly the room was light again. He looked to his lamp but it was still turned off. He turned to Mia's lamp and it was off.

It was the ceiling light. He turned to the door, where the light switch was, and he saw Mike standing in the doorway, looking angry.

"You are so lucky I don't kill you right now."

Kevin sat up, "Mike, look, if you knew…"

"You are so lucky I don't kill you right now," Mike repeated, turned off the lights, and walked away. It didn't take a genius to know he was angry.

Just as he was about to fall asleep, the bedroom light turned on again. This time he ignored it until someone crawled into his bed and snuggled up behind him. He turned around, opened his eyes and saw Mia.

"Why didn't you tell her?" he asked. Mia shrugged her shoulders and buried her face into Kevin's chest. Kevin kissed her forehead and sighed, "She has a right to know."

"I don't have an answer for her," Mia whispered.

"We found Terran with Dekker."

"She wants to know what happened. We don't know what happened."

"But…"

"She hates me, doesn't she?" Mia looked up. Kevin sighed and nodded his head.

"Why didn't you tell her?" he asked again. Mia didn't answer. She just rolled over and fell asleep.

-Samurai-

Serena got home late from her date with James the rabbit and was too tired to do anything but go directly to her room, get changed and crash into her bed.

But the moment she walked into her room she saw Terran's crib was empty. Her mind raced back to the moment in the forest where she realized he was gone. Suddenly, she was wide awake and racing through the house to her sister's room.

"Emily!" she cried but stopped dead in her tracks. Terran was with Emily, sleeping with her in bed, with her arms wrapped protectively around him.

"You thought…?" she heard Mike ask from the bathroom and she turned to look at him, shaking her head.

"Nothing."

"You can tell her, you know," Mike shrugged his shoulders. "About what happened in that forest. Who beat you up. Why, when we found you, most of your injuries had already been tended to. Mia and Kevin won't do it."

"How much do they know?" Serena asked. She wasn't exactly sure what the others knew. She had never bothered to ask where they found Terran, preferring to focus on the fact that he was alive.

"Enough to keep it all a secret from Em," Mike walked to his night table and grabbed a few video games, "If you want some privacy, I've got a few levels and power ups I need to get, and it might take all night."

Serena nodded her head and Mike walked out of the room to go play his video games. Serena crawled into his and Emily's bed and laid down. She looked at her little sister and her son, fast asleep, and sighed.

"Dekker," she whispered, "I ran into Dekker."

She wrapped her arms around both of them and closed her eyes, "I'll tell you more in the morning."


	67. The Big Sister

"Leave her alone!" Serena heard Dekker scream and suddenly Dayu's assault on her ceased. Serena looked up from the dirt and saw Dekker fighting off the female Nighlok, using all the strength he had and holding nothing back. He fought on Serena's side, and just like the old Dekker, he fought as hard as he could to keep her safe, no matter what it meant for his opponent.

Dayu fled shortly after Dekker's arrival. As usual she was unable to fight against him and preferred to retreat and live with her failure. Dekker turned to Serena scooped her up in his arms to protect her and then it happened: she pulled him in for a kiss.

Dekker lowered himself to the ground, still holding Serena in his arms and their lips still locked and Serena never wanted him to let go until a piercing scream caused the world to go dark.

-Samurai-

Serena's eyes shot open and the first thing she did was look around. She was back at the Shiba House, in Mike and Emily's room, in their bed. There was no Dekker in sight and the kiss had never happened. It had all been a dream.

The scream that woke her was Terran's crying. He was lying next to her in the bed and Serena knew he was hungry. She lifted him into her arms and covered herself with a blanket, remembering this was her room and there was little privacy.

She was covered up just in time, too, as Emily walked in, looking very miserable. She didn't say good morning to Serena, or even acknowledge Serena's presence.

"Good morning," Serena said but Emily just kept walking to the bathroom and while Serena was breastfeeding she couldn't follow her. Instead, she sat alone on the bed and thought about her dream. The dream where she had kissed Dekker. A few tears started to slip down her cheeks and Serena rested her head against the headboard. "Emily…" she squeaked out softly. Even if Mike hadn't talked her into sharing with Emily, Serena knew that dream would have pushed her to do so. There was no one else on this Earth Serena trusted more with her feelings than Emily.

There was no answer from Emily and Serena found this to be a little strange. From her conversation with Mike the night before, she knew something had upset Emily, but thought that it was Mia and Kevin who were the cause of that something.

She finished feeding Terran, made herself look decent, put Terran into his playpen and walked into the bathroom, where Emily was getting ready. She looked at her sister's reflection in the mirror, making eye contact.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

Emily, who was brushing her teeth, spit out the tooth paste and started to rinse her mouth out. She gulped the water and gargled with it. Serena waited until she spit that out before she asked another question, "Why did you take Terran to be with you last night? He's happy in his crib and you gave me quite a scare."

Emily glared into the mirror, directing her look at Serena, "Yeah, and I wasn't scared when we found you beaten up, in the dirt, all alone, and Terran missing."

"Sorry about that…"

"Who beat you up?" Emily turned around to look at her sister directly. "And don't pretend you don't know. We've talked about this a million times, Serena! I'm not a kid!"

"Honestly, Emily, I can't remember," Serena said. Emily let out a frustrated cry and turned back to the sink, away from Serena, but her older sister could still see her face in the mirror.

It was an odd thing for Serena to see. The look on Emily's face was familiar to Serena, but it was never a look she had seen on her little sister. Emily had done a lot of growing up, and it had all taken place here in the Shiba House. More than a year before, when Emily left home to take up her Samurai duties, she had been just a kid, a little girl. Serena had watched her walk away from the farm, clutching Monkey the Ape to her chest and looking like a child on her first day of school.

They had had this talk before, about Emily growing up, and Serena was sure they were going to have to have it again, and again, and again just because she refused to believe the pile of evidence that was backing Emily up. She was older, for starters, by more than a year, almost two, and her eighteenth birthday would mark her officially as an adult. She had the weight of the world on her shoulders and could not only bear it when helped by the others, but had proven she had the strength to bear it on her own if she had to. She had nursed and taken care of Serena when she had been sick or injured, she had wise words for her friends who were all older and more experienced than her. She was in a strong relationship with a man she loved and had even had sex with him (though for Serena's sanity she ignored that little part). She had been engaged, broken it off, and refused to renter into a relationship she wasn't sure about, proving she was smart enough, and responsible enough, to take care of herself.

And she was amazing with Terran. Serena had to remember that she, technically, wasn't Terran's first mother. Emily was. Due to the circumstances around Terran's birth that made Serena too weak to care for even herself, Emily had been forced to not only deliver Terran, but take care of him in his first day of life, and she had done a wonderful job. Even when the Rangers had been switched with objects, leaving only Mike, Emily, Ji, and Terran, Emily had stepped up, along with Mike. She managed to not only get the Nighlok to reverse his spell, but also kept the house looking spotless, kept the Rangers and their objects safe (more or less with Antonio and the fish), and she took care of Terran and only once did the little boy cry for his mother.

The look on Emily's face when Serena stared into the mirror was the same look Serena wore many times when she wanted to help Emily. A look that meant she wanted to hold and protect her sister. Emily was old enough, strong enough, and ready to take on the burden of caring for Serena, and she had been for a long time already.

Serena walked up to Emily and wrapped her arms around her sister, "Look, I promise you, I don't remember what happened, but I can tell you what happened. I can tell you what I was told."

"And that is…"

"Dayu."

"I thought Dayu was leaving us alone," Emily looked up confused. "Who told you Dayu…?"

"Dekker," Serena lowered her head and moved away from Emily. "Your symbol on Dekker worked…. He doesn't remember who I am, what I once meant to him, or that Terran is his son. He's got no clue."

"Dekker told you?"

Serena nodded, "He's been wandering the woods and he ran into me and Terran. I think, despite the fact that he doesn't remember who I am or what we were… he still…"

"He's drawn to you?" Emily asked.

"I was too scared with Terran," Serena explained. "He could sleep whenever. He could feed whenever… but I was alone taking care of him in a forest and… I didn't get any sleep, I barely had any food. Dekker found me, brought me to his fire and…"

"Brought you as in kidnapped you or you went with him?"

"I went with him. He's the Dekker I remember, Emily. He's… he's that Dekker."

Serena pointed into the bedroom to Terran's playpen. Emily knew what she meant and she shook her head.

"You're with James now."

"Dayu must have seen Dekker and me together and, you know, she got pissed," Serena continued her story. "I don't remember this, Em, I swear to you. I swear on Terran I can't remember. I was just walking, walking away from Dekker because you're right, I am with James. I love him and Dekker hurt me. Next thing I knew, I was in the dirt, I was sore, and Terran was gone. I blacked out again, woke up, and Dekker had taken care of me."

"That's why your injuries were already nursed when we found you."

"Dekker left to find Terran right before you guys showed up. After that, you know exactly what I know. Mia, Kevin, Jayden, and Antonio went out to rescue Terran and they bring him back."

"You don't know where they found Terran? Why he's got the bruises?"

"I just assumed, if Dekker did tell me the truth when he said it was Dayu who beat me up, she gave Terran his bruises. I don't know what Mia and Kevin and Jayden and Antonio know."

"I believe you," Emily smiled and wrapped her arms around her sister in a strong hug. When they pulled away, Emily didn't seem relieved like Serena expected. There was still something on Emily's mind. She voiced it quickly, though, "What about Dekker? If he's the Dekker you remember…"

"I kissed him."

"What!"

"Not in real life," Serena assured her, "Just now I had a dream. I dreamt about the missing time in my memory, where Dayu beat me up and… Dekker saved me. He just swooped in, rescued me from Dayu and then I kissed him."

"I thought Mia wanted the fairy tale."

"I love James," Serena said, though she felt it was more for her own sake than Emily's. "I love him so much and what he and I have is special. But if Dekker does come back and he is…"

"Dekker was your first," Emily sighed. "I don't like him, but he did make you really, really happy. Obviously happy enough where, after everything he put you through, you're still raising his child."

"I don't… I…"

"No one would have blamed you if you wanted an abortion."

"Emily, you know we don't believe in…"

"I'm just saying," Emily interrupted, "I mean, screw our beliefs. Terran is a Nighlok. He's a monster from the Netherworld and as sweet and perfect as he is we're not sure what's going to happen. No one would have blamed you if you played the Nighlok card and had an abortion. No one would have blamed you if you decided not to raise his baby."

"Terran's my child too."

"I know," Emily nodded her head, "I'm just saying… I know. I can't know what it feels like because I've only ever loved Mike, but I know what you're telling me. You love James, but if the old Dekker's back, you still have feelings for him."

"What do I do?"

"I don't know," Emily shrugged, "But whatever happens, whatever you do, I'm on your side."

"What if I hurt them both?"

"That's ideal for me," Emily giggled jokingly. "You know I have my reservations about both of them. No one's ever going to be good enough for you, at least, not to me."

Serena laughed as well and pulled her sister in for a big and much needed hug.

"Love you, sis."


	68. Cody's Bull

Mike had fallen asleep on the couch after staying up nearly the entire night playing video games. The evening before, when Emily had come to him upset because Mia and Kevin still treated her like a child, he decided to leave Serena with the option to either mend her sister's broken heart and fix Kevin and Mia's mistake or take Mia and Kevin's side and continue hiding secrets from Emily.

Mike hoped Serena chose the former, but he still wasn't sure. He wasn't even awake yet. He was still passed out on the couch. Everyone in the house was still asleep, or still in their rooms.

The front door to the house opened up as a young boy with a special key snuck in. He had never been to the Shiba House before, but his father had told him many stories about the house and the occupants inside, and whenever he could, the boy would watch the Rangers on the news.

Carefully, he tip-toed into the house. It was still very early in the morning, too early even for the Rangers, but the boy wanted to sneak in before anyone was up. He wanted to get a good look at the Rangers before he spoke with them, and he wanted to figure out who was who. Even with all the stories he had heard and all the pictures he had seen, not once had he seen any of their faces. But as he walked by the common room he stopped. There was snoring. Loud snoring. The boy kept his eyes on the Ranger sleeping on the couch and moved as quiet as he could down the hall, hoping to find a place to hide, until he bumped into something. He looked down and saw a dog.

"Uh-oh…"

He could only imagine the dog was in the house to serve as a guard dog. The Rangers had many secrets that were valuable, and they themselves were valuable. If an intruder were to come in while the Rangers were out, or vulnerable, there would be little to nothing to stop the intruder from getting away with secrets. It made sense, to the young boy, that the Samurai would train the dog to act as a ferocious guard dog and he was, in a way, an intruder.

But instead of snapping, barking, biting, or attacking, Scruffy lowered himself to the ground, signalling to the boy that he wanted to play.

"Uh… good boy?"

He then heard one of the doors in the house sliding open and the dog's attention shifted. He was up, he was on high alert and nothing could distract him.

"Scruffy! Breakfast!" a voice called and the dog instantly went running to the kitchen to catch up to which ever Ranger had called him so he could eat his morning meal. The young boy too the distraction to his advantage and hide in a closet, keeping the door open just a crack so he could peak through. From his position, he could see clearly into the common room, and he could see the comings and goings of the dojo.

-Samurai-

After getting Scruffy his breakfast and making some toast for herself, Emily went into the common room to eat and relax before morning training. Unusually, she was awake before everyone else and she had Terran to thank for that. His coos and gurgles in the very early morning hours had woken her up and she hadn't been able to fall back to sleep. She had tried a walk around the house, but when she got back into her room and saw Serena awake and feeding Terran, she knew that was the end of her night and the start of her day.

Fortunately, she had gotten everything sorted with Serena, leaving no bad air between them. With Mia, however, it was different.

After a few moments alone, the pink Ranger walked into the common room, interrupting Emily's breakfast. There was a slight moment of tension between the two before Mia decided to test the waters. She pointed to Mike on the couch.

"Why is he out here?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "I fell asleep before he did," she pointed to the video game controller in his hands, "but you can guess…"

Emily didn't look hostile, she didn't sound hostile, but Mia knew something was up. Something was wrong. Emily didn't hesitate to bring it up, though.

"Serena told me," she said. "She told me she ran into Dekker. She told me she thinks Dayu kidnapped Terran."

"She did run into Dekker?" Mia asked genuinely. She knew Dekker had something to do with Terran's abduction, but she hadn't been sure if Serena and Dekker had met at all.

Emily crossed her arms over her chest, "Don't play stupid with me," she said. "I know you know what happened. You rescued Terran. You rescued him from someone, or something."

"You've been through a lot recently, Emy," Mia insisted. "Terran's safe now. What does it matter if…"

"You've been through a lot too," Emily growled. "You were turned into a fan, you were hurt when Antonio ran away, you were probably scared when I disappeared, you were a part of the rumours, and you were worried when Terran was missing. We're even, so why do you get to know what happened to _my_ nephew and I don't?"

Mia shrugged her shoulders. _Because I can't stop protecting you. Because I know I can handle it but I'm not sure you can_, she thought but she wouldn't say it. She knew it would drive Emily crazy.

Emily stomped her foot on the ground, "I'm not a kid!"

"You're acting like one," Mia pointed out and then took a seat on her stool. She sighed, "It's not a matter of age, Emily. I'm not doing this because you're a kid. It's what I do."

"Then don't do it."

"It's not that easy."

"Yes, it is."

"Emily," Mia glared at the yellow Ranger, "Stop this. Why do you need to know?"

"Because, I…"

"What are you going to do?"

"I…"

"Terran's home, he's safe and sound. Serena's safe to. If I were to tell you who took Terran, where we found him, or what happened, what are you going to do about it? Run off like you did when you erased Dekker's memory?"

"I… no," Emily shook her head and the glanced quickly at Mike. Her running off had nearly ruined her relationship with Mike. His reaction to her running away had been what had caused the break-up and his violence towards her was what was keeping them from being engaged once more, but her running away had been the spark that started the fire.

"If you need to know, I'll tell you," Mia promised, "But be happy you don't have to know and you don't have to worry. Be happy that everything in your world, right now, is okay. We don't get that often."

"But…"

"I'm sorry, Emily," Mia got up and walked out of the common room. As she walked down the hall, she passed the closet the boy was hiding in. She noticed the closet door was opened slightly and stopped to look at it. Something about it caught her interest for a quick second before she shrugged, assumed Serena just needed something for Terran and then started to walk away until she heard a sneeze. "Bless you?" she looked to the closet and furrowed her brow as she wondered which Samurai was hiding in the closet and for what reason they needed to hide. She grabbed the door, slid it open and suddenly a little blond haired boy rushed out, running like his life depended on it. "HEY!" she shouted and took off after him. It didn't matter how young or old he was. The fact that he was in the Shiba House, unfortunately, meant he needed to be captured.

He slipped right passed Mia and already he knew the common room was to be avoided. He didn't know his way around the house, though, and found himself running into the kitchen. He skidded to a stop when he came face to face with Serena.

"I thought there were only two girls," he said and then ducked as Serena tried to grab him. He slipped past her, just like he did with Mia, and kept running until he saw a familiar face.

While he had never been to the Shiba House before, Mentor Ji had been to his home many times. The second the boy saw the older man he ran behind him. Ji looked down at the boy curiously.

"Cody?"

"You know him?" Serena asked while Mia, Emily, and Mike stopped at the kitchen doorway.

"Dude, who is this kid?" Mike asked, having been woken from his sleep to catch the kid in the house.

Ji didn't answer right away. Instead he looked down at Cody, as if disappointed, "Does your father know you are here?"

Cody looked down at his shoes, "I left before he got up. I jumped the fence."

Ji shook his head and then looked to the girls and Mike, "Cody's family are guardians of the first Zord that ever appeared in this world," Ji wrapped his arm around Cody's shoulder and guided him to the common room while the Samurai went to get Jayden, Antonio, and Kevin.

When all the Samurai were in the common room and ready to listen, Ji started to explain what Cody and his family meant to the Rangers.

"The Bullzord has immense primal power. Cody's family have been guardians for three hundred years. The Bullzord came to our world through symbol power, but it went out of control and ravaged the countryside, so the Grand Shogun sealed it away in a secret location. Only his family know the secret," Ji made direct eye contact with Cody who seemed to grow more and more upset as the story was told.

"The Bullzord isn't bad," Cody looked around the room at the Rangers, "he just wants to be free. Once I break the seal…"

"Hold on," Kevin shook his head, "You want to unleash a Zord that went on a rampage?"

"That'll be like giving Emily sugar and… that'll be like giving Emily sugar," Serena chuckled and playfully nudged her sister. Emily rolled her eyes and then nodded. Serena had a point.

"He won't do that now," Cody tried to assure the Rangers. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white disk which greatly resembled the disks the Rangers used, "You can control it with this!"

Jayden looked at the disk then shook his head, "We'll need to check this out. We're taking you home, Cody."

"But…"

"Your father is probably worried about you anyways."

"C'mon, kid," Jayden gave the boy a pat on the back and lifted him from his stool, "Guys, you coming."

The Rangers followed Jayden's lead except for one. Emily saw the team before her and shook her head. Mia and Kevin were hiding secrets from her on purpose, and Jayden and Antonio, just by not telling her about the rescue, were doing the same. The only person on the team she could count on was Mike.

She pulled her Samuraizer out of her pocket and gave it to Serena, "You go."

"Em…"

"My knee hurts."

"No it doesn't."

"Just go," Emily took Terran from Serena's arms, "I'll stay here with Ji. Besides, it's only fair you get a few adventures of your own as the yellow Ranger."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Emily smiled. Serena gave her a kiss on the head and then rushed out to catch up with her team. When the Rangers saw Serena joining them and not Emily they all had a curious look on their face. Serena just shrugged her shoulders.

"Technically it's my birthright."

"Is she okay?" Jayden asked.

"She just missed Terran," Serena nodded. "A few hours of quality time with him should help her feel better. Now c'mon. We're not going to get anywhere if we don't start walking."

"We're coming. We're coming," Jayden chuckled and rolled his eyes, following Serena's lead. Antonio leaned over his shoulder and whispered.

"I guess we're going to know what the team would be like if Serena had never gotten sick."

"Should be interesting," Jayden nodded.

Mike was walking side by side with Cody. He was a little curious as to why Emily had decided to sit out but he knew she had her reasons. Instead he focused on Cody and the Bullzord.

"Dude, you have to tell me everything you know about the Bull. Is it awesome?"

"You won't regret unleashing it," Cody promised.

"Cody, we'll need you to lead," Serena called out to him, "You're the only one who knows where we're going!"

At the back of the pack were Mia and Kevin. Mia was dragging her feet in the dirt as they walked. Kevin wrapped his arm around her.

"She's probably just had enough excitement for a while."

"Sure," Mia nodded her head then sighed.

"You and Emily have gotten into fights before. You two always bounce back. By the end of the day, I'm sure you'll be hugging it out."

"Let's just focus on the Bullzord," Mia said. "A new mission might be just what we need."


	69. The Rodeo

Just like the Shiba House, Cody's home was far from the city, pretty much halfway between the city and Serena's home out in the country, making Serena feel like she was at home. Serena even recognised a few of the landmarks on the way from when she had to travel from her home to the Shiba House.

They approached Cody's home but no one was inside. Cody gestured to the back of the house and the Rangers made their way around. The closer they got, the more Cody started to drift to the back of the pack.

As they rounded the corner they spotted a man chopping wood with his axe. Jayden cleared his throat but the man never turned around. Instead he kept his eyes on his job.

"Excuse me," Jayden said, "Can we talk to you. We're the…"

"I know who you are," Cody's father said. He grabbed another block of wood and chopped it in half, "My son went to see you. Why are you hiding in back of them, Cody?"

The boy stepped to the front of the pack, his eyes on the ground. His father shook his head in disappointment, "You left without telling me."

"Because I was worried about the Bullzord, dad," Cody whined and his father rolled his eyes, as if he had heard that excuse many times before. "It doesn't want to be sealed up like that, I can feel it. And the red Ranger here can help set him free."

"No one can control that Zord, Cody. Not even the red Ranger. You've endangered yourself and the Rangers. You put everyone around us at risk. Now you've got chores to do."

Cody lowered his head again and walked off without another word to his father. Cody's father looked to the Rangers, his expression never changing, "I'm sorry you had to come all this way."

Cody headed towards the front door of the house. He still had the disk in his hands and he was staring as it as he walked.

_Why won't anyone believe me?_ he thought to himself, _Dad doesn't listen, even the red Ranger doesn't understand. The Bullzord won't hurt anyone. I'll prove it._

Instead of opening the door and heading into the house, Cody ran for the fence, jumped over it and raced off across the field.

-Samurai-

Not wanting the Rangers to have travelled all this way for nothing, Cody's father, Brooks, introduced himself and allowed them into study. He offered them some tea and let them look around at the very few secrets he was supposed to be guarding. There weren't very many, only whatever was related to the Bullzord and its history.

Even Serena, who had read through many of the books at the Tengen Gate, was in awe as she stared at a wooden statue of what she recognised to be the Grand Shogun.

"I wonder if it comes in yellow," she whispered and nudged Antonio.

Jayden turned to Brooks, "Cody really cares about that Zord, doesn't he?"

"He started talking to the Bullzord when he was three years old," Brooks nodded his head and then chuckled to himself, "He thinks it understands him."

"Does it?" Jayden asked seriously which stopped the laughter from Brooks. The older man gave the red Ranger a slight sigh.

"Maybe, but it can't be trusted," Brooks walked to a safe in the corner of the room and inserted a key. He pulled out a long scroll and laid it down flat on the table. "Three hundred years ago the Grand Shogun entrusted us with this task: to guard the Bullzord with our very lives."

Serena leaned forward and read the symbols on the scroll. Finally it dawned on her. She had read this story at the Tengen Gate. There had been a copy of all these documents, and in her months as guardian she had stumbled upon and read them.

"The Grand Shogun ordered that the Bullzord remained sealed," Serena continued for Brooks, "Today, tomorrow, and for all eternity."

"I guess it's a good thing we brought you," Mike said as he gave Serena a pat on the back, "Does this make sense to you because I don't get how one of our Zords can't be trusted?"

"The Bullzord can't be tamed," Serena sighed. "Many have tried, but they were getting nowhere and too much damage had been caused. Our ancestors were left with no choice but to seal the Bullzord away."

Suddenly the ground began to shake. Brooks looked down at the mugs of tea on the table and saw the water stirring. His heart fell, his stomach turned.

"It can't be…" he raced to the door of his study and opened it wide, "Cody? Cody?"

"Twenty bucks says he's gone," Mike muttered and the Rangers and Brooks all raced outside to see what the cause of the earthquake was. As they looked to the distance they saw a tall mountain that shook with the earthquake and slowly fell in on itself as the large Bullzord began to emerge.

"He's figured out how to break the seal," Brooks said. "The Bullzord is escaping from the mountain."

As soon as the Bullzord had his feet on the ground he began charging. There was quite a way to go before he reached the city, but the Rangers knew that if they didn't stop it soon, they were going to have a very big problem on their hand.

"Cody's got to be inside," Mia pointed out suddenly and it dawned on all the Rangers instantly.

"Great. Not only do we have a rampaging bull, but if anything happens to the Bullzord…" Kevin trailed off as the look on Brook's face turned into one of horror.

"We've got to stop it," Jayden shouted and looked over his shoulder at the team, "Go, go Samurai!"

The Rangers raced out into the forest, each trying to think of a way to get the Bullzord under their control. They couldn't fight it; worried that if they did anything to harm the Bullzord they would hurt Cody inside the cockpit, but there was no way they would let the Bullzord run free. If the Bull made it into the city it would endanger countless lives, and the Rangers had only just earned their way back into the city's good books. If one of their own weapons destroyed the city and killed the people, their reputation and the city's trust in them would be all gone.

Just when they thought things couldn't get any worse or desperate, Giant Moogers rose up from the ground and they too tried their hand at capturing the Bullzord. Without a second thought they called their Zords and formed the Megazord.

As soon as they were up in the Megazords, the Moogers started to attack them, and the Bullzord took this chance to start running away from everyone. The Moogers held off the Rangers, giving the Bullzord more time to make it into the city, but before it got too far it turned around and started to make its way back to the fight, as if it wanted to be a part of all the destruction and chaos. The Moogers all turned their attention to the Bullzord and lassoed it, wrapping the chains around its horns. The Bull tugged and pulled as hard as it could before blasting the Moogers down.

"I'll handle the Moogers," Antonio called from the Clawzord, "You guys go after the Bull."

The Bullzord charged away, but the Samurai Megazord cut in front of its path, slowing him down slightly and the Bullzord contemplated charging right through them. Deciding that was the best option, he powered on, charging as fast as he could towards the Samurai Rangers. The Megazord grabbed the bull by the horns, forcing it to stop, but the pull kept pushing.

"We need to get control," Jayden said, "Mia, try to knock some sense into it."

Mia nodded and suddenly the turtle arm slammed the Bullzord in the forehead. It forced the bull back and the Megazord straightened out, giving the Rangers some time to breathe and come up with another plan.

"Ride it," Serena suddenly suggested and turned to Jayden. He looked at her.

"What?"

"Trust me. The chains are still wrapped around the Bullzord. Use them as reins. We can't stop it, but maybe we can steer it away from the city until it tires itself out."

"Are you sure that'll work?" Kevin asked.

"This thing can't be anymore wild than my horse back home," Serena said and Jayden nodded his head.

"Alright, Serena's plan. We ride it."

The Samurai Megazord jumped in the air and landed on the back of the Bullzord. Just as they were about the reach for the chains the bull threw them off his back and turned around. He charged at them again, ramming his horns and the top of his head into the chest of the Megazord.

"You wanna go ape," Serena growled and suddenly the Ape arm detached itself from the Megazord, "Fine!"

The Ape Zord jumped right back on the Bullzord and this time the Ape managed to grab the chains before he was thrown off.

"Know what to do, Monkey?" Serena asked from inside the cockpit and smirked when she heard her answer. Suddenly, the Bullzord crashed into the Samurai Megazord again and Serena was thrown from her Ape Zord while the Samurai Megazord disassembled completely. The Bullzord got away, with the Ape on its back.

The Rangers regrouped on the ground, completely out of breath and looked very worried about the Bullzord getting away.

"He's not going to the city," Serena promised them. "Monkey will make sure of it."

"How did you do that?" Kevin asked her.

"Not all cows are, well, cows," Serena chuckled. "I've seen a few bulls. Ridden some as well. Mom thought it was a waste of my time. That proves her wrong."

"Looks like it's a really good thing we brought you along," Antonio said.

Jayden looked down to where the Bullzord had retreated, "We should get back to Brooks," he said. "It's not good news that the Bullzord and Cody got away, but he has a right to know."

-Samurai-

While the boys were inside breaking the news to Cody's father, Serena had decided to pull Mia aside for a few moments so they could talk. Serena had enjoyed her time as a Ranger, and while her skills had come in handy, the Samuraizer truly belonged to Emily. Serena had no problem taking over from time to time. To protect her sister she wanted to do so permanently, but that wasn't what fate had intended and Serena needed to get Emily back in the yellow suit.

As they walked around the house, taking a moment to breathe the fresh country air, Mia couldn't help but feel guilty. She had never once been nervous about her actions towards Emily in Serena's presence, but now that Serena had pulled her aside, she was worried what the elder sister would say.

"I have my reasons, you know."

"I'm sure you do," Serena nodded and stopped in her tracks. She looked at Mia, "I'm not mad. I understand what you're doing. I was going to do it myself, until I realized she's not a kid anymore."

Mia groaned, "I'm not doing this because… have you ever wanted this to stop?"

"What?"

"This," Mia gestured around her. "We're fighting Nighlok, risking our lives every day for the safety of people who, at one point, turned against us. We've given up everything we've loved and we're not even sure we're ever going to be able to return to that. We've come this far in the war against the Nighlok, but we're nowhere near being done. Every day we face a new danger. If we're not fighting Nighlok, we're fighting each other. Worrying about ourselves; worrying about each other. Don't you just ever… want a normal life?"

Serena nodded her head, "Of course, but…"

"Don't you want a life where you can wake up in the morning and say with absolute certainty that it's going to be a great day? Don't you want to make it through a day without worrying that you're going to die? Or worse, that you're going to have to live without someone you love?"

"I haven't had a day like that in years," Serena muttered. "I'll be honest; I kind of forgot you could live like that."

"I want to protect Emily, yes," Mia said, "and right now, most kids her age are worried about getting into college, what clothes they want to wear, if the boy they like likes them back. They're worried and excited about prom and… as hard as that stuff is… that's child's play. We're worried about the entire planet. The reason kids her age don't have to worry about their lives is because we do that for them. She does that for them. So why can't she just have a day where, for once, there's nothing to worry about?"

"Because that's not our life."

"Why?"

"Because…"

"Terran's safe and sound. You're safe. Why should she have to worry when she doesn't have to?"

"Because she asked."

Mia lowered her head, "I get it. I get why she wants to know. It's scary not knowing, especially when she's got so much to lose. But if I were in her place… I would just want to ignore what happened and be thankful Terran was safe and our troubles were over. I would want normal."

"Are you projecting?"

Mia frowned, "What?"

"_You_ want to feel safe. It's got nothing to do with Emily. It's you who…"

"I can't feel safe," Mia shook her head, "I've got too much to worry about. But Emily can. We're not going to…"

"Let anything happen to you," Serena placed her hands on Mia's shoulders and offered the pink Ranger a smile. "Every once in a while it's okay if you want to ignore this reality and go off and do something normal. We can have a girls' day. You can go on a date night with Kevin, or you can spend the day by yourself. You don't need to worry all the time. As for Emily, she'll be fine. She wants to grow up, and I think she's ready for it."

"Why are you so smart?" Mia chuckled.

"Because I've made enough stupid mistakes to learn," Serena laughed, "but I think you're right about needing something normal. Half the fun in going to work is forgetting I'm a Samurai and just… being a normal part of society."

"And you're having a hard enough time keeping that job. If we tried to get even a part time job, I guarantee we would all get fired within a week."

"Something normal doesn't mean a job," Serena said with a smirk. "Antonio seems very rested and focused on his Samurai duties after a day of fishing. He doesn't even have to go into the city and sell fish. He just has to do it as a hobby. Same with Mike and the video games. I hate to say it, but that game console can get him to focus once he's gotten his fix."

"So, you're thinking of an escape?"

"A fall back," Serena nodded. She gave Mia and pat on the back and turned her towards the house, "The guys are probably starting to wonder what's taking so long. You just worry about the Bullzord for now. I'll come up with something to help each and every one of you take your minds off the way of the Samurai."


	70. Looking For A Bull

Breaking the news to Brooks about the Bullzord getting away with Cody in the cockpit wasn't easy to do. Though Brooks had a hard time showing his emotions when the Rangers first arrived at him home, he had been visibly upset and scared when he heard Cody was in danger, as any father would be.

He sat at the table in his study, holding a mug of tea in his hands. He was shaking his head trying to process everything he had been told.

"He should have listened to me. I'm so worried about him now."

"His bond with the Bullzord is so strong," Jayden said and glanced around the room at the other Rangers. "I'm sure the Bullzord won't do anything to hurt him intentionally."

"And The Bullzord got away with the Ape on its back," Antonio said with a small smile, "The ape will keep the Bullzord from doing something stupid."

"The Ape," Mike muttered to himself and reached into his pocket, pulling out the Bear Zord. The thought hadn't occurred to him until that very moment, but the Zords did share special bonds with their owners and with each other. Mike had even seen the bear charging at Frankie's car when Emily had been in danger before Mike even knew Emily was in the car. The Zords had keen instincts and their bonds could work in the Rangers' favour, "Let's send the Zords out," he suggested to the team. "The Bear and the Ape are always teasing each other with hide and go seek. This will just be a bigger version."

"It's worth a try," Kevin nodded and he pulled out his Dragon Zord, "If they can find the Bullzord, they can tell us where it's hiding."

"Who?" Mia and Serena asked as they returned from their talk outside.

"We'll need your turtle," Jayden looked to Mia, "We're going to find that Bullzord."

"This forest is so vast," Brooks said, "It might take hours. You Rangers are more than welcome to stay the night. There is more than enough room for each of you."

-Samurai-

Without the Rangers, the house was always silent. Mentor Ji got most of his work done when the Rangers were out of the house, whether on a mission or just for some down time and this time was no exception.

After Dr. Harada had failed to alert the Rangers that Terran was in danger and needed Sanzu Water, Ji and Jayden had to make a difficult decision and they fired him from his job. If he couldn't protect all the Samurai, he wouldn't get the chance to work for them anymore. Jayden had burned his home in the forest down, had given him a place to stay in the city, and had taken all his books for Ji to study. Without a doctor to rely on, it was up to Ji to be ready to treat any and all injuries the Rangers would suffer.

The more he read, the more prepared he felt, and he started to draw his own conclusions from the research that had been done. He wasn't looking into the proper way to dress a wound or stitch up a gash, this night his focus was mainly on Terran and his Nighlok side. How much more could Ji find out and how much of Dr. Harada's information could be valuable to Terran. Ji wanted the young boy, the baby he considered to be his grandson, to grow up happy, healthy, and strong. He wanted Terran to take full advantage of both halves of his life while never falling to the darkness like all the other Nighlok. The worst thing that could happen to Terran, worse than him passing away, would be to watch him turn against the Samurai and embrace the wrongdoings of his Nighlok life.

Looking up from his work, Ji saw Terran sleeping soundly in his play pen, which had been set up in Ji's room while Emily was out collecting some more Sanzu Water. He was so young, and growing so quickly, he consumed the Sanzu Water just like milk. There was enough water in the fridge still to keep Terran satisfied for a long time, still, but a new pool of water had come through near the house, and Emily wanted to go collect the water. Enough, for Terran, was never enough, and with the Rangers fighting especially hard to stop the pools from coming into the human world, they were going to have to collect all the water they could now.

Ji set his books down and rubbed his eyes. He got up from his chair and walked over to the playpen. He leaned over it and watched Terran sleeping. He was amazing to Ji. He wasn't the first baby Ji had seen in his life. In fact, Ji had seen many. He had even been in the Shiba House when Jayden was born, and he had watched the red Ranger through every stage of his life. But there was still something about Terran that was different. Something that made him seem much more precious. To Ji, all the Samurai were his children. They had been with him for so long, and they had grown so much, he needed to remind himself that when they talked about their childhood, he wasn't actually there with them. He had only met them recently. But they were so precious to him, and the fact that Terran had come from one of them made him even more precious.

"Sleep tight, young Samurai," Ji whispered as he leaned in and kissed Terran on the top of the head before he headed out of the room and turned off the light.

-Samurai-

Out in the woods, Emily was filling up her final bottle of Sanzu Water and she was collecting the last few drops from the pool before there was nothing more she could get. From this puddle alone she had managed to fill up nearly twenty bottles for Terran. Given how fast he consumed them it wasn't a lot, but each and every bottle counted and twenty more was twenty less that Emily needed to worry about.

She screwed the top back onto the bottle when it had all it could hold and she put the bottle in her bag. She zipped up the bag so nothing would fall out and then pulled out Serena's Samuraizer. One way to ensure the Sanzu Water wouldn't be used for the Nighlok was to cover up each and every puddle the Rangers found. Emily knew she could accomplish that by first filling the puddles with dirt, which would turn the water into mud, and the burying the mud in stones.

She hadn't gone far from the house, knowing it wasn't smart. Not only was she alone in the forest in the evening, but the other Rangers weren't even home. This pool had come up at the perfect spot so that it was close enough to the Shiba House where Emily could still see the Gates, and Ji was certainly keeping his eye on her in his own way, though Emily didn't expect anything to happen.

That didn't mean nothing would happen. As she got up and put the bag over her shoulder she spotted a figure stepping out of the woods and blocking her path to the Shiba House. She took a cautious step back and growled.

"Dayu."

"Relax, yellow Ranger. I'm only here to talk."

"If you try to hurt me to hurt Serena, that plan's going to backfire," Emily warned Dayu. "Serena will be so pissed she'll come after you, and you'll have the other Samurai hunting you down."

"Which is exactly why I will not hurt you," Dayu nodded and she pointed to a rock, "Come. Sit. Let's talk."

"I'm going home," Emily growled and started to leave. As she walked by Dayu, the Nighlok grabbed her arm.

"You're home alone with the baby and your Mentor," Dayu whispered to her. "I've seen the other Rangers leaving, and I've seen your ancestor's Bullzord has been freed from its prison."

"It has?" Emily frowned. She tried to pull away from Dayu, but the Nighlok held tight.

"The Rangers tried to stop it," the Nighlok said, "Including the yellow Ranger. And while they're out there, you're still here."

"Let me go, Dayu…"

"Talk to me, yellow Ranger," Dayu said, "What's going on between Serena and Dekker?"

"I'm not telling you anything," Emily growled.

"Because you have something to hide," Dayu grabbed both of Emily's arms and looked her right in the eye, "Your sister already has a mate she can play with. Tell her to leave my Dekker alone. He was mine long before she was born."

"Fine, then. Keep him. At least her new boyfriend doesn't have any psychotic exes."

"If your sister threatens what I have with Dekker…"

"You have nothing with him. You're a disgusting bitch. It says a lot when even the monsters don't want to be with you."

Day screamed and pushed Emily to the ground. She drew her sword from her broken Shamisen and pointed it at Emily's chest.

"Tell your sister that if she makes one move that threatens what I have with Dekker, I will make her life as miserable and lonely as mine and you, yellow Ranger, will be the first in my path."

"Dayu!" a voice called and Emily recognized it immediately from her nightmares. She looked up, across the forest and saw Dekker standing with the trees, watching the exchange between her and Dayu. When he was spotted, Dekker took a few steps forward. He looked down at Emily, then up at Dayu, "Do you feel powerful when you threaten children? What has she done to you?"

"If you only knew," Dayu whispered. She pulled her sword away from Emily and turned around. She couldn't hurt anyone or anything with Dekker watching. Something about the symbol the yellow Ranger had drawn had changed him. He was still the man she loved, but he was more peaceful.

Emily quickly jumped to her feet as soon as Dayu retreated. She clutched her bag tightly in her hand and her eyes fell on Dekker. She gave him a quick look before deciding it was too dangerous to stay. She took off running for the Shiba House.

-Samurai-

It was early in the morning but the Rangers were all up, unable to sleep very well during the night. Not only were they somewhere new and technically they were in a stranger's home, but they were all worried about the Bullzord and Cody.

As they sat outside, watching the sunrise, they saw little creatures approaching the house and a smile crossed each of their lips.

"Monkey," Serena held out her hand as the Ape Zord returned to her. If the Ape Zord was back, then the other Zords had found the Bull.

Just as they were about to take off to continue their mission to take the Bull, Brooks ran out of the house.

"Wait!" he rushed over to the Rangers and pulled a white disk from his pocket. He presented it to Jayden, "Take this. It's the original power disk my ancestors used to create the Bullzord three hundred years ago. It's the only possible way to tame it."

"And we're just getting this now?" Mike asked but was nudged in the ribs by Serena.

"It requires a lot of symbol power."

"Doesn't everything?" Mike muttered back.

"Well, yeah but… don't be a smart ass," Serena nudged him again just to shut him up.

Jayden looked to Brooks with a reassuring smile, silently promising he would do all he could to tame the Bullzord and get Cody home.


	71. Taming The Bull

"You do not like it when your friends keep secrets from you."

Ji's point made Emily scowl as she looked down into the tea he had made her. She had been up all night worrying about what Dayu had said. It wasn't so much the threat against her that had Emily tossing and turning in bed, but the fact that Dayu was back and ready to challenge Serena. Emily knew from her talks with her sister that Serena was starting to have feelings for Dekker again. She couldn't push her sister away from them unless she wanted to create more of a mess, but now she really wasn't going to encourage Serena to be with Dekker either. Suddenly, James was looking like a good boyfriend. A really good boyfriend.

Emily didn't want to tell the other Samurai what had happened, though. She didn't want Serena knowing Dayu would come after her if she got closer to Dekker, and she didn't want the team to know she had almost been attacked by Dayu, and saved by Dekker. But Ji's point was a good one. She hated when they kept secrets from her.

"But…" she started, wanting to argue that if she didn't say anything her friends were never going to know she was hiding a secret. Ji simply cocked an eyebrow and Emily sighed, giving up. She got up from the table, "I'll go feed Terran…"

"And when the others return…"

"Yeah, yeah…"

-Samurai-

The Rangers raced through the forest, guided by the voices of their Zords when they suddenly came to a halt. They weren't the only ones searching for the Bullzord. From the trees, Moogers appeared, dozens of them, and they were headed down the same path as the Rangers.

"They must have been up all night searching," Kevin said.

Mike shouted to them, "Hey, uglies!"

They all stopped and turned to the source of the noise. The Nighlok leading the charged seemed surprised he had run into the Rangers.

"Don't let them get to the Bullzord!" he cried out, directing the Moogers to attack. The Rangers had no time to morph and summoned they Spin Swords quickly, jumping into the fight and defending themselves against the Moogers until they found an opening, each morphing only when they got the chance.

"Keep them busy!" the Nighlok cried as more and more Moogers started to appear, "While I get the Bullzord and that kid!"

Jayden saw the Nighlok running off and looked to his team. There were so many Moogers he couldn't just leave them to fend for themselves, but he couldn't let the Nighlok get away. Cody and the Bullzord were completely vulnerable if the Nighlok got inside the cockpit.

"We did say we were going to share," Jayden muttered and he pulled out the Black Box from his belt. He still had the disk Cody's father had given him which, if Jayden could get to the Bullzord in time, would give him enough power to tame the Bullzord and defeat the Nighlok. "Here!" he shouted to the Rangers and tossed the Black Box to any of them. He didn't stick around long enough to see who would catch it.

He followed the Nighlok through the woods, trying to get one step ahead of him at least, but the Nighlok was fast and reached the cockpit before Jayden could. But the red Ranger wasn't far behind. Just as the Nighlok made a threatening move towards Cody, Jayden jumped between the two and fought the Nighlok off. That seemed to be the Bullzord's cue, and from inside the cockpit Jayden could feel the Zord beginning to move.

"He's headed for the cliffs!" Cody shouted with a tone of panic in his voice.

"Your father gave me this disk," Jayden said, tossing the disk to Cody while he held off the Nighlok, "Use your symbol power and tame this beast."

The Samurai were known for having symbol power, but Jayden was aware that the guardians, the ones working behind the scenes, had mastered a few basic symbols. Not enough to be power Samurai Rangers; generally they were nowhere near as powerful as the Ranger families, but just enough to keep whatever they were guarding safe. If Cody was a true guardian he would have enough symbol power to tame the Bullzord with the disk Brooks had given Jayden.

Cody caught the disk and attacked it to the console of the Bullzord. He grabbed his paintbrush, the one he used to make symbols, and traced on in the air. He sent the symbol to the disk in the console, but it broke before it could have any effect.

"It's not working!" he cried out to Jayden who was still struggling with the Nighlok.

"Don't give up, Cody. You can do it!" Jayden encouraged. The pressure was all on Cody at this point. The boy tried again but the symbol broke again.

"It's still not working!"

"Concentrate," Jayden told him.

Cody nodded his head. He knew it was all or nothing now. He closed his eyes and put everything he had into each stroke. He could feel the power coursing through him and into his paintbrush to make the symbol and he hoped he had enough. He pushed the symbol into the console just as the Bull raced over the edge of the cliff.

Cody was just in time too. Suddenly the Bullzord responded and instead of diving down the cliff, he soared up. Cody removed the disk, now coloured red from power, and passed it over to Jayden.

Jayden looked down at his Spin Sword. The disk was so powerful. If he had the Black Box he wouldn't have had to worry, but he wasn't sure his Spin Sword along could use it.

"It's the power of your ancestors," Cody said as he leaned against the console, exhausted from his use of symbol power. "It'll help you defeat the Nighlok."

Jayden nodded. He had already knocked the Nighlok out of the cockpit while Cody had been taming the Bullzord, but he knew they weren't done yet.

Cody's words did make sense to Jayden. Antonio had been the first to get the Black Box up and running which meant Jayden's ancestors hadn't used the Black Box. He snapped the disk onto his Spin Sword and spun it. A holographic image of the red Grand Shogun appeared before him.

The Shogun held out his hand and looked directly at Jayden, "You have summoned the power of your ancestors. Now and forever, my power is your power!"

As the Shogun disappeared, Cody suddenly fell to the ground. Jayden knelt down next to him and helped him to sit back up.

"It's time for you to go," he said and the Bullzord came to a complete stop. The door to the cockpit opened up. Jayden helped Cody to his feet, "Get to safety. Run home."

-Samurai-

The Rangers finished off the Moogers with a little help from Serena in Super Samurai Mode. She had caught the Black Box when Jayden threw it and she instantly transformed and gave the Rangers the power they needed to take care of the Moogers.

As the Rangers were admiring her costume (they still couldn't get enough of the Super Samurai mode) and Serena was enjoying the power boost she felt, the ground suddenly began to shake. All eyes turned to her.

"Not every earthquake is an Earth Samurai's doing, you know," she muttered and then looked up to the sky as a shadow was cast, "Looks like Jayden defeated the Nighlok."

"And hopefully he tamed that bull," Antonio nodded.

-Samurai-

"What do you think?" Emily held up a photo of Serena and Dekker in one hand, and a photo of Serena and James in the other. Terran sat in front of her, leaning against cushions just staring at the pictures. "Do you like this picture better? With your mommy and your birth daddy? Or this picture, with mommy and her current boyfriend."

Emily held the photos a little too close to Terran and he grabbed the one of Serena and Dekker and waved it around. Emily huffed, "What do you know?"

Ji stood in the doorway, watching the scene with a shake of his head, "What are you doing?"

"Trying to convince Serena that James is the lesser of two evils," Emily pried the picture from Terran's hands and made a sour face, "No Terran, this is bad. C'mon, we have to practice this and you need to get it right. Mommy's going to be home any minute now."

"What are you doing with Terran?"

"He's my back up," Emily explained, "If Serena won't listen to me, and she'll have to listen to Terran."

Emily held the pictures up again, "Okay, Terran, what do you think this time? Mommy and birth daddy, or mommy and current boyfriend?"

Terran reached out, not to anything in particular and fell forward onto his stomach. He looked up at Emily, slightly startled and waiting for her reaction so he could figure out what he was supposed to do now.

Emily grumbled and crossed her arms over her chest, "You know, if we don't get this right, we both might die."

Terran continued to stare at her until Ji picked him up.

"Auntie Emy's acting very strange, isn't she, Terran?" Ji laughed, "Come on. You can help Grandpa Ji learn a more effective way of fighting off infections."

As Ji walked off, Emily dropped the two pictures and fell onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling.

"I am an oddball," she muttered, "but so are the others. Poor Terran…"

-Samurai-

The Shogun was unlike anything Jayden had experienced before and once he got the armour and the Bullzord up and running, the Nighlok didn't stand a chance. Jayden took him out in a matter of minutes and still felt like he could take on Master Xandred by himself.

He exited the cockpit of the Megazord and powered down as the other Rangers rushed over to him. Serena gave him back the Black Box.

"Alright, now I know why you guys are crazy with the super. That felt awesome!"

"You tried it out?"

"Might as well," Serena nodded, "How often do I get to be the yellow Ranger?"

"Dude, that Bullzord rocks!" Mike gave Jayden a pat on the shoulders, "You took out the Nighlok like he was nothing."

"The power of the ancestors helped quite a bit," Jayden smiled. "If you think Super Samurai is cool, you should feel what's it's like with the powers of the Grand Shogun!"

"And we have Cody to thank," Kevin said. "Where is he?"

"I sent him home," Jayden answered, "We should check up on him."

"Then head home," Serena said. "Emily's probably wondering what's taking so long."

-Samurai-

After saying their goodbyes to Cody and Brooks, and thanking them for their help in taming the Bullzord and obtaining the powers of the Grand Shogun, the Rangers were finally home.

They walked through the front doors in the evening and knew it had been over a day since they had left. They were tired from running around and hadn't gotten a proper sleep the night before, but most of all they were happy to be home.

Most of them were happy to be home. The minute Mia walked into the house she remembered why Serena had accompanied the Rangers on their mission and not Emily. She and Emily were in a big fight.

"Guys," Mike called before Mia could get too worried and he waved the Rangers over to the common room. When they were all gathered behind him he pointed to the couch, "I think we've finally found something that'll slow Emily down."

"That's so cute!" Serena squeaked and then realized she had to be mindful of her voice. On the couch, Emily was fast asleep with Terran on her chest. He was lying on his stomach and staring at his aunt, almost looking like he had taken her down.

"For someone so small, he sure does require a lot of attention," Kevin nodded and he remembered when he and Mia had been left alone to babysit Terran. He remembered how exhausted he had been by the end of the day.

When Terran's eyes found his mother's he smiled happily. Serena walked over to him and picked him up.

"You won't believe the day mommy had," she told him and was then almost hit in the face by whatever Terran had in his hand. She took it from him and saw it was a picture of herself and Dekker. "Where did you…?"

Serena trailed off and stuffed the picture in her pocket, "C'mon, Monster Junior. Mommy's going to tell you all about the Bullzord, and the Super Samurai mode, and what happens to little boys when they don't listen to their parents. You don't want to get trapped inside a runaway Bull like Cody, do you?"

"I'll go tell Ji we're home," Jayden said and started off down the hall to find Mentor Ji. Antonio went with him. Mike walked into the common room to wake Emily up to let her know he and the others had made it home safe and sound.

Mia stood in the hallway and gulped loud enough for Kevin to hear. He turned to her.

"You still don't want to tell her, do you?"

"Maybe she won't ask," Mia said. "Maybe she's forgotten all about it."

Kevin looked to Mia and then he shook his head. On the way home Mia had told him about the talk Serena had had and he found himself agreeing with Serena. Mia trying to protect Emily had very little to do with Emily.

"Isn't this exactly what Dr. Fletcher was talking to you about?" Kevin crossed his arms over his chest and smirked, "You keep everything bottled up until it becomes such a big issue."

"Keeping what bottled up?"

"You've always wanted a normal life. We're not getting that here, especially not lately."

"Kevin, its fine. You saw the Bullzord in action, and Jayden's got the Shogun powers now. We'll have the Nighlok all defeated in no time…"

"Not if we lose one Ranger to stress."

"Kevin, I'm fine. Serena even said she would come up with something that would help us with the stress. It'll keep us focused and…"

"Having a team that works together?" Kevin said. "Serena kicked ass today. There is no denying that. We could use her strength on the team a lot more often, but she's not yellow. Mike is different when he works with her, and you're not the same either. Serena kicks ass, but our team works best with Emily."

"So?"

Kevin pushed Mia into the common room, "Go patch things up with her. You'll feel better, Serena's still going to make things less stressful for us, and we'll be back to our original team again."

"But…"

"This time, Mia, I'm right."


	72. Mike's Normal Life

Mia's original plan to talk to Emily had failed. When Mike woke Emily up and announced that he and the others were all home, she hadn't been in the mood to talk. She had asked how the mission went and then walked off to her room, stating she would be going to bed early. Mia knew she was just doing that to avoid a conversation and it just reinforced the idea that Emily was still very hurt, but it also reinforced the idea that Kevin was right. Mia did need to talk to Emily.

She would give the yellow Ranger some time to cool off and Mia headed to bed herself, exhausted from chasing the Bullzord.

Kevin, though, wasn't ready for bed and instead opted to squeeze in a little training. His day had been tiring and had gotten him wound up. Before he could rest, close his eyes and sleep, he needed to relax. Training at the end of the day helped him to relax.

He was in the dojo, beating up a dummy when he heard the door slide open. He turned and saw Mike had come to join him with a serious look on his face. Mike had put aside his feelings for the mission, and had done a wonderful job at doing so. Kevin had forgotten entirely that Mia pissing Emily off had triggered something in his relationship with Mike.

But Kevin wouldn't play these games with him, not when he felt he was working to fix the problem.

"Mia's going to talk to Emily in the morning," he assured the green Ranger.

"You don't have to follow blindly, you know," Mike muttered. "You're a couple, but that doesn't mean you have to do everything together."

"I've got Mia's back. Whether I agree with her or not, I show her I love her and support her by backing her up and defending her against anyone. If I don't agree with her, I tell her in private. It's called being a team. A strong one, at that. Would you question Jayden's decision in front of a Nighlok?"

Mike shook his head, "I don't care about you and Mia being a team. Terran is our family. Terran is Emily's nephew. You don't get to hide important facts from Emily. You have no business telling her what she can and can't know about him."

"If there was anything Emily needed to know, she would know it," Kevin assured Mike, "Mia's going to talk to Emily tomorrow, like I said. This was all just a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding between them. Why are you coming after me?"

"Because you're Mia's teammate," Mike scoffed.

"It's easier to fight with me than Mia?" Kevin asked seriously and then he started to laugh, "I'll be honest, if I had a problem with Em, I would probably take it out on you too."

Mike took a seat on one of the benches by the wall and sighed, "You know, you're not that much older than we are. You can't keep protecting us like we're babies."

"This isn't a baby issue. Mia just wanted a normal life."

"A normal life?" Mike gave Kevin a curious look, "I thought she was pro-fairy tale? You know: dragons, knights, princesses, frogs…"

"No frogs," Kevin laughed, "She's not a fan of frogs."

"Noted," Mike smirked. He turned to Kevin, "So if it wasn't an age thing."

"Being a Samurai is a stressful job. What would you give for the chance to just be a normal guy again? Go to the arcade with your friends from home? Stay up all night eating junk food. Going to college…"

"College?" Mike stuck out his tongue, "No way. School isn't for me. I could barely even tolerate pretending to go to school for Serena."

"But those other parts of a regular life, I'm sure you miss them."

"A bit," Mike nodded his head, "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not that I don't like being a Samurai, but sometimes I do think about how easy life would be if all I had to do was… be alive. Being alive is so much easier than staying alive."

Mike looked down at his hands, playing with them nervously. There was more he wanted to say, but he wasn't sure how to say it. Kevin seemed to read his mind: "You know, a lot of guys your age don't have to worry about taking care of a family or being a father figure to a baby, or when would be a good time to propose to their girlfriend. Neither do a lot of guys my age for that matter."

Mike nodded his head, "I love my little Samurai family. Terran's awesome, Serena… can be great, and… I can't explain how I feel about Emily but, you get it. It's probably the same way you feel about Mia. But when we're out in the city, in a restaurant or at the park… I see other guys my age hanging out together. Sometimes they're with their girlfriends and it's nothing serious. They're just kids in a relationship and you know it's never going to last, but the relationship is all about fun. It's not hard work."

"You're jealous of them?"

"Sometimes," Mike nodded. "I love what I have with Emily. I want more than that, you know I do. We were engaged once and more than anything I want that back again, but sometimes… I want to be able to just have fun. But then… there's more."

"What more?"

"The guys who don't have girlfriends… I see them flirting. They flirt with every girl they lay eyes on and it looks fun. I know I should be at that stage where… where romance is still fun and exciting and new, and I'm free to do what I want. I mean, don't get me wrong, I…"

"You love Emily," Kevin nodded his head.

Mike sighed, "Sometimes I feel like I'm missing out. I've dated before Emily, but it's never been serious. Most guys have a few serious girlfriends before they settle down. Most guys have time to have fun and be guys. I would never, ever cheat on Emily but…"

"You're human, Mike. More specifically, you're a man," Kevin chuckled and gave Mike a pat on the back, "Nothing you're saying is surprising me. Hell, I feel the same. Girls give me looks. They flirt with me and sometimes I'm really tempted to flirt back. Sometimes I do."

"You flirt?" Mike let out a small laugh and gave Kevin a look of complete shock, "Dude, I'm still trying to figure out how you landed Mia."

"I've had serious girlfriends before Mia. Not many, but enough to know what I want. I want a life with Mia. I never do any flirting that would ruin the relationship I have with her. I never let any girl think she's got a chance. No one compares to Mia. But sometimes it's fun, and it gets it out of my system. There is, after all, a difference between flirting and _flirting._"

"Does Mia know?"

"Mia flirts with other guys," Kevin chuckled.

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"I trust her," Kevin said. "I trust her completely and I'm comfortable in this relationship. She's never done anything that would push me to believe that she's not being faithful, and even if she flirts with the restaurant host to get us a table, she's on the date with me. She's here at home with me. Whenever someone does try to ask her out, or pushes the flirting game too far, she always holds up the ring and she tells them they don't stand a chance."

"She does love you," Mike smiled, "So don't screw it up."

Kevin nodded, "I'm not telling you to go out there and start flirting because you feel like it. It works with me and Mia, but maybe not for you. What I'm saying is… Emily's the one, but she's not the only one. There are other girls out there and you're still young. Don't get me wrong, if you break Emily's heart or I catch you cheating on her or pushing your limits I will murder you with my bare hands."

"You know I wouldn't."

"At your age, you should be having fun with girls," Kevin said. "For you, that's normal. You hang with the guys, you hit on girls, you get drunk… you need that, and it's okay to miss it."

"You miss it?" Mike asked and looked up at Kevin. The blue Ranger nodded.

"Sometimes."

"And it's okay?"

"To wish I had a normal life? Yeah. It's perfectly okay."

Kevin put his hand on Mike's shoulder and squeezed gently, "Look, I don't want to encourage you to flirt with other girls because, well, you are with Emily…"

"Yeah…"

"But that doesn't mean you can't be normal. How about tomorrow, when Mia and Emily have their little talk, you and I head to the arcade. You can show me what the big deal is about all those video games. After that, we can go to lunch. I'll teach you how to flirt for fun."

"Whoa… you want to go to the arcade with me?" Mike blinked in complete disbelief, "and you're going to teach me how to flirt?"

"There's more to me than you think," Kevin nodded his head. "I'm a guy, just like you."

"Who removed the stick?" Mike frowned and looked to Kevin's backside, "Did it leave an awesome scar?"

"If it did, would you really want to see it?" Kevin chuckled. He got up from the bench, "Goodnight, Mike."


	73. Mia's Normal Life

Mike was up early for two reasons. The first being he was going to be taking Kevin to the arcade and he wanted to get there bright and early so he could show Kevin all the different games they had before the crowds started to form and people started to get very involved in their games. Though the arcade was usually filled with what society would call nerds, dorks, and geeks, they were, in their own way, very hostile, very pushy, and very rude. He didn't want to scare Kevin off too quickly.

The second reason was that Emily had told him she had something she wanted to talk to him and Serena about privately. He wasn't sure what Emily wanted to talk to him about, but figured something had happened while he and the team had been away. By the looks of things Emily seemed okay so Mike wasn't too worried, but he knew there was always that element of doubt.

Serena had just finished feeding Terran and had some time before she had to go to the school. James had assured her that her job was still waiting for her, but she knew she was going to have to do a lot of begging and a lot of fast talking to ensure no one was suspicious. She loved her job, but hated that her life and her responsibilities as a Samurai were continuously interfering and making her career a lot harder than it needed to be.

As Serena got Terran dressed in his everyday clothes, Mike and Emily took a seat on her bed. Emily looked down at her hands nervously, worried about how the conversation would go. She never got a good reaction when she had to talk about Dekker or Dayu.

She pointed to the bottle by Terran's crib, which before Emily and Mike had gotten into the room had been filled with Sanzu Water, "Did you see I managed to get more while you were gone?"

Serena nodded her head, "The pool wasn't too far?"

"I could still see the Shiba House," Emily said. "Mentor stayed here with Terran and I went out, got the water and…" she trailed off purposely. She couldn't say she got the water and went right back to the house, but she couldn't announce Dayu's appearance so casually either.

"And…?" Mike asked, pushing her a bit, "What happened? You didn't touch the water, did you?"

"No, I was careful," Emily promised, "But… you know how Dayu and Dekker are living in the forest?"

"Deep, deep in the forest," Serena said and then looked at her sister. Emily was shaking her head no.

"Dayu showed up. She said she wanted to talk."

"With her mouth or her fists?" Serena asked. When Emily looked over to Mike she could see in his eyes that he had the very same question.

"With her mouth," Emily said. "She wanted to talk about you, Serena. She wanted me to tell you to back away from Dekker… or else."

"Or else what?" Serena frowned, "Emily, what did she do to you?"

"Nothing," Emily shook her head then looked her sister in the eyes, "I kind of angered her but she didn't do anything. She didn't get the chance. Dekker showed up before she could."

Emily felt Mike squeezing her hand tightly. She turned to him, "Dekker… he didn't jump in front of me to save me, but somehow he talked Dayu out of hurting me and she listened. She walked away and he just… let her go, and he let me go."

"Dekker wouldn't hurt her," Serena assured Mike when she saw he was tense, "He's the good Dekker. He's my Dekker."

"Your Dekker?" both Mike and Emily asked and Serena realized her mistake.

"I mean… he's the Dekker I remember. The Dekker I loved."

"Loved, right?" Emily asked, "You moved on, right?"

"You know it's complicated, Emily…"

"Dayu says if you haven't she'll make your life miserable and lonely and she'll start with me," Emily said. She stood up and walked over to Serena. She looked her older sister right in the eye, "You have to choose, Serena, and you have to choose fast. Dekker or James?"

"What?"

"Whoever you pick, I'll be supportive, I swear, but your choice needs to be clear for everyone. The longer you take to decide, the more threatened Dayu will feel. You'll put everyone in danger and for what? For the chance that maybe you like Dekker?"

"So you want me to choose James?" Serena asked. Emily shook her head.

"I'm just saying, if you want to be with Dekker or if you want to be with James, choose now. I would rather suffer whatever torture Dayu puts me through knowing at least there's a reason for it then having to suffer only to find out, in the end, you chose James."

"I can't just make up my mind on the spot, Emily. Not right here right now. I mean… how would I… I don't…"

"Soon, then," Emily said and held out her pinky, "Soon and you'll make it obvious to Dayu when you do choose. Whether it's James or Dekker, I'll support you, but you need to make up your mind."

Serena nodded and locked pinkies with her sister. This wasn't a decision that could be made lightly or quickly, but she knew she didn't have the luxury of figuring it out. Emily was right. She needed to make her decision soon. Ideally, she didn't want any of her friends to get hurt because of her love life, but at least if they did, it wouldn't be wasted because she knew what she wanted and her friends and family, the people she knew she loved, would know what they were fighting for.

"I promise I'll figure it out soon," Serena smiled just before there was a knock on her door and Mia and Kevin walked in.

"You should be on your way to school," Kevin told her, "Being late and then swearing you're a good role model for students don't exactly go hand in hand."

Serena nodded. She gave her sister a kiss on the forehead, put Terran in her arms and rushed out the door.

Kevin nodded his head toward the front door, "You read to go, Mike?"

Mike looked to Emily and then nodded his head. He was concerned she had run into Dekker and Dayu alone, but it seemed nothing had happened to her. He gave her a kiss as well before he followed Kevin out the door and out of the house.

Now that she was alone with Mia, Emily's mood suddenly turned sour and she tried, as quickly as she could to leave the room.

"Emily," Mia called her name as Emily stormed off. She chased the yellow Ranger through the house, "Emily, hold up…"

Mia barely had the chance to catch up before Emily reached her room, slammed the door shut and locked it. Mia knocked a couple of times before sitting on the floor just outside the door. She leaned against the back wall, "I just want to talk, Emy. I have all day. I can wait."

-Samurai-

Kevin had been inside an arcade before, but this was still a whole new experience.

Mike guided Kevin around and pointed out the best games, many of which still had Mike as the high score record holder. Mike hadn't been allowed to visit the arcade too often since he had been called to the Shiba House, and so hadn't been around to defend his title. Still, it seemed in this world, Mike was the best. He was the best. He was the king. There was no one better than him. A few people even recognized Mike and were very happy to see him return.

It was different for Kevin to see. He would never say Mike wasn't good or his skills on the team weren't valued, but he definitely wasn't at the top. No one looked up to him and admired him at the Shiba House.

"Shoot him! Shoot him!" Mike instructed and Kevin did exactly as he was told, without any questions. Here, Mike knew what he was doing. Mike was expert. Kevin pressed as many buttons as he could. He forgot which button was to shoot, but he found the correct button too late and the words _game over_ flashed on his screen. Mike chuckled and gave him a pat on the back, "Too bad dude. But hey, it's only your first time here."

"These games are harder than they look," Kevin wiped his forehead. He couldn't believe he was sweating.

Mike nodded his head, "That's what I've been telling you. You finally believe me."

"Strategy, timing, reflexes… they would have to redesign the game quite a bit, but this would almost make suitable Samurai training."

"Let's not take it too far," Mike laughed, "but they do get pretty intense."

"So, so far, what do you think?"

"It's not my style," Kevin smiled, "but I can see why you would like it."

"Want to play again?" Mike asked as he put more tokens into the machine, "Dude, by the end of the day, maybe you'll be half as good as me."

"I can only hope," Kevin said and then stopped completely for a moment as it sunk in that he had just wished he could be half as good as Mike. The statement didn't slip by the green Ranger, who smirked wickedly.

"Dude, I should have brought you here ages ago," Mike leaned over Kevin's shoulder, "Alright, just do as I tell you. I've played this game hundreds of times."

-Samurai-

Mia gently banged her head against the wall. It had been a couple of hours and Emily still hadn't come out of her room. Mia wasn't ready to give up, but she was starting to wonder if this was all worth it.

"You could talk to her through the door, you know," Antonio said as he took a seat beside Mia, thinking he could keep her company. "I mean, she can't shut you up from in there."

"I tried that," Mia sighed and held up a hand, indicating to Antonio to listen while she turned her attention to the door, "Alright, Emy, I've had enough. You don't have to talk but if you could just…"

Mike's loud music started to blare from inside the room and Mia was silenced completely. Antonio chuckled.

"That'll teach you to piss off Monster."

"She's mad at me," Mia nodded her head, "but she's not exactly thrilled with you and Jayden."

"What did we do?" Antonio frowned.

"You know just as much as I do about where we found Terran," Mia said. "I don't see you running to tell her what happened."

"He's safe now," Antonio shrugged, "I didn't think Emily would care to know. I mean, she never asked."

"She asked me," Mia sighed, "and I couldn't tell her. I didn't."

"Why not?"

"Serena said I was projecting. She thinks I'm stressed out from all this Samurai stuff."

"Are you?"

"Are you?"

Antonio nodded his head, "A lot has happened. I mean, we're starting to wind down a bit. We're having fun again. No one is kidnapped or missing or seriously injured so that's good."

"I've always wanted normal," Mia hugged her knees to her chest, "Growing up, things were never really normal for me. I have a broken family, I lived with my grandmother. I was trained to be a Samurai. I gave up everything for this life and it's so… weird. Normal, for me, is having a conversation about the latest Nighlok we defeated, or getting up in the early hours of the morning to swing a sword around because or life depends on us being the best we can be. Sometimes I wish I didn't have to worry about stuff like that. That I can just be a normal person, with normal friends, a normal family. I don't have to worry about what kind of Nighlok we're going to face next, or what Xandred has in store for us, or what Serena's wicked ex-boyfriend's going to do to an innocent baby."

Antonio nodded his head slowly as he got the message, "You can't unknow something," he said, "but you can prevent Emily from knowing what you know."

"I know Terran's safe right now. I know nothing bad is going to happen to him and I know that's all Emily needs to know. She can be happy and worry free, even if it's just for a few days. She can take a break from the Samurai life and just be a normal aunt, and sister, and girlfriend and friend. I'd kill for that chance, but I can't have it because I know the one thing she doesn't know."

"You know where we found Terran."

Mia sighed, "Emily thinks I'm not telling her because I still see her as a kid. I'm trying to protect her."

"Are you?"

"Yes," Mia nodded, "but I would protect anyone of you."

"Have you told Emily that?"

Mia glanced to Antonio, then the door, "Alright, Emy, if you're going to…" she was interrupted again as the music was turned up high.

Antonio chuckled. He pat Mia's knee gently before pushing himself up to his feet and then reaching into his pocket, "Well, she can't keep doing that. Terran's got to nap at some point and maybe then you can get your point across."

"Hopefully she'll put him down soon," Mia nodded his head.

Antonio pulled a letter from his pocket, "Until then, here, you can read this."

Mia looked at the envelop, "What is it?"

"Jayden and I found it on the doorstep. We were about to go fishing when we saw it sitting there. It's addressed to you."

Mia looked at the return address. It took her a minute to recognise but eventually she remembered it was her father's new address. He had moved across the country almost a year before, after she had arrived at the Shiba House, and the no contact rule meant she didn't have much of a reason to mail him or remember his address.

"It's from my dad," she said and ripped the letter open.

"Good luck with that, and with Emily," Antonio told her, "Jayden and I are going out fishing, if Ji asks."

"Yeah, yeah," Mia nodded her head, barely paying any attention as she focused on the contents of the letter. She waved Antonio off dismissively and he walked off.

Mia's eyes darted back and forth as she read each line of the letter carefully. When she reached the bottom tears welled up in her eyes and she covered her mouth with her hand. Surprise was written all over her face. She was shocked and upset by the letter.

Shakily, she got up, holding the letter tight in her grasp. She knocked on Emily's door again and before the music could be turned up she said through the door, "I have a brother."

Seconds after those words left her mouth, the door slid open and Emily looked up at her, "What?"

Mia held up the letter and stepped into the room. She couldn't care any less about her fight with Emily anymore (even though she didn't want to fight). She took a seat on Emily and Mike's bed as Emily stared at the letter.

"I don't want to read this," she said.

Mia just looked at her, "You don't have to. It says I have a brother."

"That's… cool. Terran will have a playmate when we're… what?" Emily asked when she saw Mia shaking her head.

"The letter says he's fourteen."

"Oh…"

"That's before my parents were divorced."


	74. Brothers

Kevin didn't want to admit it, but his morning at the arcade had been one of the best mornings of his life. He had seen a whole new side to Mike, and while at first it seemed to be the complete and total opposite of everything Kevin was, the more he dug, the more he found out that he and Mike really weren't that different. They each had their skills, their passions, and they knew their weaknesses. The only thing that had been keeping them apart was the fact that Kevin was in one of his elements in the Shiba House. While he was a swimmer at heart, he had also dedicated his entire life to being a good Samurai.

The Shiba House wasn't Mike's strength. Kevin had grown to love Mike despite the fact that they were so different, but up until that morning, Kevin had never really seen the side of Mike that was patient, disciplined, focused, determined and truly passionate. But that had been Mike to a T in the arcade. It was a little boyish, and Kevin couldn't see how video games were going to get him far in life, but if Mike could adapt and even thrive in the Samurai lifestyle when it clearly wasn't his comfort zone, Kevin was sure Mike would be fine.

So when they sat at the restaurant and Mike put two chopsticks in his mouth to imitate a walrus, Kevin found himself laughing a genuine laugh. Mike was still up to his old antics, but suddenly they were hilarious to Kevin.

"Seriously," Mike pulled the chopsticks from his upper lip and set them on the table, "We should do this more often, dude."

"I guess I wouldn't mind going to the arcade again," Kevin nodded his head and smirked when Mike's smile grew, "I still haven't beaten any of your high scores."

"Don't feel bad," Mike chuckled, "It took me years to set those scores. No one's going to beat them anytime soon."

"Challenge accepted," Kevin smiled as the waitress came by with their food. Kevin gave Mike a wink and the green Ranger flashed the waitress a smile. Kevin had been giving Mike some pointers on how to flirt with other girls to get it out of his system, without ever feeling like he was cheating on Emily. He figured a few smiles and some small talk wouldn't do any harm to Mike and Emily's relationship, and it wouldn't accidently lead some girl on that Mike was available. Mike was handling it better than Kevin expected.

When the waitress walked off, Kevin nudged Mike, "Real smooth."

"You know, I never imagined you being an expert with girls," Mike said. "Dude, where did you learn all this stuff?"

"Trial and error with a few previous girlfriends."

"Previous girlfriends," Mike laughed and shook his head, "That sounds so fake."

"And how many girlfriends have you had before Emily? Oh, right, nothing serious," Kevin teased. Mike gave him a slight look.

"Alright, alright. Your flirting tips work so I guess I can believe you had one other girlfriend before Mia."

"More than one."

"I'll need to hear it from the girls themselves," Mike smirked, "But seriously, dude. Thanks."

"For what?"

"Can I tell you something… well, and ask you something?"

"Anything," Kevin nodded. Mike looked around the restaurant and then reached into his pocket. He pulled out Emily's engagement ring.

"The flirting really helped. I mean, there weren't any girls at the arcade, but look at this place, and on the walk here. These women are gorgeous. And it's fun to be a guy and you know, mess around, but if I had any doubts before, they're gone now. This place is crawling with beautiful women and I'm so excited to get home to Emily."

"She really means a lot to you, huh?"

Mike nodded his head and looked down at the ring, "I want to propose soon, but I don't know what she'll say."

"She'll say yes, Mike, you know she will."

Mike shook his head, "She's smart. I told her I didn't want to propose until I was sure I could control my anger. What happened that day… when I lost it… I can't let it happen again."

"She knows you won't…"

"She knows I don't want it to happen," Mike said, "I just… what do you think? If I were to ask soon…"

"Yes," Kevin smiled and nodded his head, "Yes, of course yes. Is there any doubt?"

"Aw," the waitress beamed brightly as she approached the table with the intention of asking how the food was, "You guys would make an adorable couple. Congratulations."

She gave both men a pat on the back and then walked over to another table. Mike and Kevin looked to each other and then burst out laughing. Mike tucked the ring back into his pocket.

Kevin dug into his food, "Tip number seven: flirting when the girls think you're on a date with your boyfriend means no matter how hard you try, you'll never cross the line."

-Samurai-

Emily sat on her bed beside Mia, gently rubbing the pink Ranger's back as Mia tried to process what her father had told her in the letter. Her parents had been divorced for a long time, and Mia had prepared herself for the possibility that one of her parents would likely start a new family. She thought of one day having step siblings, or maybe welcoming a new baby brother or sister into her life, but she never once thought she already had a sibling.

It had been confirmed that her brother wasn't her full brother. They had the same father, but that was it. Mia's parents had divorced when she was eight, almost nine years old. Currently, Mia was twenty-one, and her twenty-second birthday wasn't too far off, which put the divorce at almost exactly fourteen years before. With knowledge on how babies were made, and how long the pregnancy lasted, Mia knew one thing: her little brother had been conceived while her parents were still legally married.

"It's really only technically, right?" Emily said, "I mean, just because the divorce wasn't official, doesn't mean…"

"He cheated?"

"You were only a kid," Emily reminded her, "You were living with your grandmother. You don't know what happened. You don't know. I mean, your father still loves you, look how he signed the letter. Your mother loves you. Now you have a brother who…"

"I need to call him," Mia whispered and reached for her Samuraizer. Emily pulled it out of her hand.

"But the rule…"

"Screw the rules. You had family reunions for a while and I didn't say anything."

"Mia…"

"My dad has the nerve to tell me in a fucking letter, Emily!" Mia shouted. "For fourteen years he's known about his son, and he waits until I'm here at the Shiba House, and he's across the country before he tells me in a letter!"

"Okay, that's a bit of a low blow, but… Mia!"

Mia walked out of the room and Emily chased after her. Mia walked into her own room and started pulling out her drawers as she searched for something.

"Mia, what are you looking for?"

"His number. He changed it when he moved and I never thought to… there," Mia pulled a piece of paper from her desk and started dialling her father's number into her Samuraizer. As she put the Samuraizer to her ear, Emily took a seat on her bed.

Mia's conversation with her father started off in English, but quickly switched into Japanese, leaving Emily completely lost and unable to follow. She could tell from all the shouting and Mia's body language that the pink Ranger was extremely angry, but she had no idea what was being said.

"I should have let mom teach me Japanese," she muttered when suddenly Mia hung up. She fell into her bed and buried her face in her pillow. Emily lay down next to her on her stomach. "Are you okay?"

"Dekker," Mia muttered through the pillow. "We found Terran with Dekker, who said he saved him from Dayu."

Emily nodded and then wrapped her arms around Mia and lay with her. She whispered in the pink Ranger's ear, "I'm sorry, Mia."


	75. Make Your Own Ending

Emily hadn't told Serena where exactly she had run into Dayu and Dekker, but Serena noticed a pile of stones where one hadn't existed before and could only assume this had been where Emily had gone to collect the water and where he run in had happened.

She remembered the promise the made to her sister. Whether or not she liked it she was going to have to choose who she wanted: Dekker or James.

The decision seemed almost too easy. Dekker had hurt her a lot more than James had. She felt safe, and comfortable, and happy when she was with James, and with Dekker, there was a lot of heartache. Even at the peak of her love with the half-Nighlok, there had been heartache. But Serena would never forget her first. There would always be a love and longing for Dekker that Serena couldn't ignore. If she chose James, she knew it wouldn't be fair.

And she had Terran to think about. She wanted to give her son as much as possible and everything he deserved. She knew it didn't matter whether his father was real or step, but there was something about giving him the real deal that made Serena want Dekker a little more. There would be no lies, no confusion, no heartache, and yet so many at the very same time. She wasn't sure she could bring herself to tell Terran that his father had been a monster. She wasn't sure she could tell her son all the things his father had done to her and the rest of his family.

A thought had occurred to Serena while she contemplated who to choose. Dekker didn't remember her, and if the seal lasted, he never would never. He wouldn't know she had chosen to leave him behind. She couldn't break his heart. From what he could remember, she had never showed any feelings towards him.

James would know, if she chose Dekker. He would know she had once loved him, but as soon as her ex came back, she had abandoned him. After everything James had been through for her, and with her, she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't leave him.

But in the end, it all came down to who she loved more, who she felt safest with, who she couldn't live without, and what was best for her son.

"He's yours, Dayu," she whispered into the forest. She wasn't sure Dayu could hear her, but the female Nighlok had a habit of popping up. There was a chance she was just around the corner, "You win."

"What about your son?" Dayu stepped out from behind a tree. Serena wasn't surprised to see her.

Serena looked the Nighlok in the eye, "Please leave him out of this."

"Why should I?" Dayu asked. "He is just as much Dekker's as he is yours, and you have no right…"

"He's only Dekker's son by blood," Serena growled. "His father will be the man I choose."

"His mother could be the woman Dekker chooses."

"Don't you want a life with Dekker?" Serena asked. "The family you deserve? The family you have a right to? Dekker by your side and your own children to love. Why would you want to hold on to a constant reminder of me?"

"Why hold onto a reminder of Dekker?"

"Terran is my son," Serena growled, "If he's going to remind me of anything, it's my family. I'll forget about Dekker and you forget about hurting my son, my sister, and all the Rangers."

"I still have business with the pink Ranger," Dayu said. Serena's fists clenched tightly.

"What business?"

"She pushed you and Dekker together," Dayu said. "She meddled in my affairs. My personal life. That cannot go unpunished."

"Back off, Dayu."

"I will deal with her as I see fit," Dayu nodded, "but for now I will work on recovering what is lost."

"Go find Dekker and crawl into a hole, for all I care," Serena said, "If you hurt any of my friends, this war is back on."

"We'll see what happens," Dayu shrugged and turned away, "but as long as you don't interfere like the Pink Ranger has, I promise no harm will come to you, your son, your sister, or your lover. At least, no harm by my hand."

"Dayu…"

"Break your end of the deal, I'll break mine," Dayu said, "From now on, you and I will stay away from each other."

A Gap opened up under her feet and Dayu disappeared before Serena could say anything else. Serena kicked dirt over where the Gap had opened up.

"Stupid bitch," she muttered, "Rot in hell…"

"Serena!" a voice called and Serena turned around. All four boys had found her, each on their way home from wherever they had gone for the day, "Aren't you coming?"

Serena nodded and joined them on the trail back to the Shiba House. Antonio, who was pulling his fishing cart, couldn't stop talking about the fish he had caught, and how he was no longer scared when he held a fish in his hands. But it seemed he had gone on and on for so long that no one was listening anymore. As the five Samurai arrived at the Gates of the Shiba House, Kevin stopped. He looked to Serena.

"Have you come up with any relaxing activities?" he asked her. He knew she was trying to help Mia with her stress, and all the other Rangers as well, by finding them a way to unwind and feel a little less like Samurai and a little more human.

"Nothing really," she shook her head.

"Fishing's good for me," Antonio smirked and pointed to his cart. Jayden nodded his head.

"I'm with fish-face," he teased playfully. "It's calming."

"Mike and I are going to hang out a little more outside the house," Kevin nodded, "That's enough down time to keep us relaxed and focused. I think you just need to worry about Mia and Emily."

"Mia mostly," Serena rolled her eyes, "Damn her…"

"She wants something normal," Kevin told her, "Why don't you, she, and Emily just hang out, like what Mike and I are going to do."

"We'll see," Serena nodded. She opened the Gate and with the others walked into the Shiba House. Everyone gave Scruffy the usual greeting before their ears all heard it.

"Why is it so quiet in here?" Mike whispered. He felt like he couldn't speak any louder without disturbing the entire house.

Serena checked the time, "Well, Terran's normally napping right about now and we were all out of the house."

"But we left Mia and Emily to make up," Kevin said, "They should either still be screaming at each other, or…. Something. Whatever they do when we're not around."

"Maybe Terran tired them out," Antonio suggested. Serena started for her room, expecting to find her son napping in his crib, and one if not both girls passed out on her bed.

She found neither so she turned around and went to Emily's room, where Terran's playpen was usually set up when Emily was left to babysit. Terran was in his playpen, but the girls weren't on the bed.

"No one in the common room or the dojo," Jayden told her as he joined her with Antonio.

"Kitchen's clean too," Kevin said.

"Mentor hasn't heard from them in a while," Mike added, "but he says they never asked him to keep an eye on Terran, so they should still be here."

"Your room," Serena pointed to Kevin. The blue Ranger nodded and he open the door to his bedroom. He chuckled slightly and the others looked over his shoulder. Mia and Emily were both asleep on the bed and were as close together as they could get.

"Looks like Terran did tire them out," Kevin laughed and slowly closed the door again to let them sleep. He turned to Serena, "And just think; if Terran can tire them out before he starts walking imagine what that's going to be like."

"Laugh all you want," Serena smirked, "Because I have until then to find dozens of reasons as to why you should babysit. For starters, and I can get Mia on my side for this one, it could be practice for when you have kids…"

"You wouldn't."

"And if Terran can tire out Monster and the natural-born mother, imagine how pooped you're going to be."

"That's just mean!" Kevin called. Serena smiled and turned away while listing all the other ways she could rope Kevin into babysitting once Terran started to walk around.

-Samurai-

The second the door closed inside Mia's bedroom, Emily's eyes shot open. Mia had cried herself to sleep, but Emily was still wide away. She had Mia's father's letter in her hand and had been trying to read it herself since Mia had fallen asleep.

The pink Ranger had made her swear not to tell anyone about her brother. Mia didn't want everyone finding out until she got her own facts straight and Emily could understand that. As much as she wanted to run to Kevin so he could comfort Mia, or to Serena for advice on what to do and what to say to Mia, she couldn't.

Mia never said much about her family, but one thing she had always been careful to say was that her parents always loved her. Despite all their hardships, and even despite Mia's doubts, her parents had always been supportive and loving. Like any other parents they had made their mistakes, but they had been good parents.

Emily was now starting to doubt that. Not telling Mia she had a brother was one thing, and Emily was sure Mia's father had his reasons, but moving across the country and then telling Mia in a letter seemed so cold and impersonal. And to top it all off, he left out all the important details. He told Mia she had a brother, but he never told her who her brother was, what his name was, if she had met him before without knowing he was her brother. He told Mia that her brother was only her half-brother, and that they shared the same father, but he didn't tell Mia who his mother was, if Mia knew her, or if it had just been a one-night stand gone wrong. He didn't tell Mia why he had chosen to tell her about her brother now, and why he had chosen to do so in a letter. He didn't tell Mia whether or not her mother knew, whether or not her mother was okay with it, or even whether or not her brother was a result of her father cheating on her mother, or if the marriage had been over and they were just waiting for the papers to make it official. Emily knew, from her own experience with her mother, that those were all questions Mia was going to be asking herself, and they were the questions that were going to eat Mia up from the inside.

When Emily got to the end of the letter she read the signature and scowled.

_Love, Dad_.

If the letter didn't belong to Mia, Emily would have torn it up, thrown the confetti of paper all over the room, and then she would have asked Jayden to torch it. But the job of disposing of the letter wasn't hers, so Emily resisted the temptation, though she would definitely suggest it to Mia when the pink Ranger woke up.

Love, Emily knew Mia's father had no idea what that meant. She remembered her own mother swearing that even when she had run away, she had always loved Emily, but to this day Emily still didn't believe it. She believed her mother had loved her before she had run away, and she believed her mother had grown to love her again after coming back, but she never believed, and would never believe, that her mother loved her when she had disappeared.

"Emy," Mia called softly, alerting the yellow Ranger that she was awake. Emily looked to her.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Terran."

Emily shook her head, "You were right," she said, "it was nothing to worry about," Emily showed Mia the letter, "I read it."

"You did?"

"Are you okay?"

Mia shrugged her shoulders and sat up, "I'll never have anything normal, will I? No normal parents, no normal childhood, no normal siblings, no normal life."

"Who is your favourite?"

"What?"

"Princess," Emily said and then reached under Mia's bed. She knew the pink Ranger kept a book of fairy tales hidden under her bed.

"Snow White," Mia whispered. Emily pulled out the book and opened it to Snow White's story. She pointed to the cover picture.

"Snow White had a step-mother," Emily said, "She didn't have normal parents, or a normal family. And then she meets seven dwarfs in the middle of the forest. That can't be normal."

Mia laughed as Emily flipped the page, showing her an image of Snow White with the seven dwarfs.

"Imagine, meeting grown men who are shorter than me," Emily laughed and turned the page again, revealing the image of Snow White sleeping. "And look, normal apples don't put people to sleep."

"Emily…"

"None of these fairy tales are normal, but the princesses always get their happy endings. They always end up getting the life they dreamed of. You don't need to be normal, Mia, you just need to be happy."

"My dad lied to me, maybe even to my mother," Mia closed the book and sighed.

"I know," Emily nodded, "and it's not going to be easy when you go home, and it's definitely going to be weird, but that doesn't mean you're not going to get your dream. The husband, the kids, the white picket fence, and your own happily ever after. You make it happen. And then, when I babysit your kids, I'll tell them your fairy tale."

"My fairy tale?"

"Princess Mia who fought against the evil Master Xandred and his kingdom, found love and lived happily ever after with the life she always dreamed of having."

Mia smiled and gave the yellow Ranger a hug, "Thanks, Silly."

"Silly?"

"Your dwarf name."

Emily crossed her arms over her chest and pouted before she remembered the letter. She held it up for Mia to see.

"Want to tear it up?" she asked.

Mia took the letter and shook her head. She stuffed it in the drawer of her night table and then reached for the fairy tale book.

"Who was your favourite princess?"

"Mulan," Emily answered and Mia gave her a look. She shrugged, "What? I can relate. She took her father's place in a war."

Mia shook her head and laughed, "I think I have that movie."

"Can we watch it?" Emily asked excitedly, "I haven't seen it in years!"

"Go make the popcorn," Mia nodded her head and Emily stumbled off the bed, nearly tripping over her own feet as she ran to the kitchen. Mia laughed, "Forget Silly. She's more of a Clumsy."


	76. Terran's Hands, Mia's Heart

Jayden heard laughter fill the house as he came out of his room after symbol training. There was a lot of laughter and it was all coming from the common room. When he went to investigate, he found Terran on his stomach, staring intently at his hand while Kevin, Mike, and Antonio laughed loudly.

"What's going on?" the red Ranger asked and he took a seat next to Antonio.

"Someone's just discovered his hands," Antonio laughed.

Mike mooed liked a cow and Terran's eyes widened. He stared at his hand in shock, wondering if the sound had come from his strange new hands.

"He's only discovered one hand, so far," Kevin explained to Jayden, "We're waiting to see what happens when he figures out he's got another one.

Mike sat on the floor next to Terran and propped him up. Terran leaned back against Mike, never taking his eyes off his hand. Mike held out his own hand flat and then made a fist. Terran looked at Mike's hand and then saw his hand doing the same thing. He babbled, cooed, and shouted in excitement and shock.

"What is this new thing, Terran?" Mike asked with a laugh and then he held out his other hand. Terran looked to both of Mike's big hands before suddenly catching a glimpse of a second smaller hand, just like the first. His eyes nearly shot out of his head and he jumped back at the discovery. There were two.

The boys laughed and Mike played games with Terran and his hands, clapping his hands together. Terran was shocked to see his hands were making more noises.

"So, up until right now, Terran had no idea he had hands?" Jayden asked and the others nodded.

"Terran doesn't even know he's a person yet," Mike chuckled. He picked up one of Terran's toy mirrors and held it in front of Terran's face. Instantly Terran's attention shifted from his new hands to the baby in the mirror and he stared at the baby curiously. "He gets jealous when he sees one of us holding him in the mirror. He thinks some other baby's stealing our attention."

Terran smacked the mirror out of Mike's hand and the boys laughed again. Terran smiled; happy he could make his uncles laugh.

"What are they laughing at, Terran?" Serena asked when she walked into the room. It was getting late and she had to get Terran ready for bed. She picked him up, "Are you being silly?"

"Apparently he just realized he has hands," Jayden said, "He's pretty fascinated by them."

"Well, Terran, you're officially a step up from your Auntie Emy now," Serena laughed as she carried him off for his bath, "She still hasn't discovered any of her limbs. That's why she keeps hurting herself."

As Serena left with their entertainment, the boys fell into a silence. They had to find something else to pass the time. It wasn't quite late enough for bed, but they were all too tired to get up and do something.

Mike stretched out as far as he could, reaching for the remote but he was just a little too short.

"Stretch, c'mon, stretch!" Antonio encouraged him. After a few more tries, Mike gave up.

"Not worth it."

"You're probably the laziest Samurai I've ever met," Kevin chuckled and he rolled his eyes.

"Someone's got to hold that title," Mike smirked, "besides, how many Samurai do you actually meet? I doubt I have much competition."

"Mia and Emily have been napping for quite a while," Jayden pointed out and glanced down the hallway, "I think you may lose your title if they don't get up soon."

"There was an opened bag of popcorn when I went to make dinner," Antonio said, "they might be having a girl's night."

"Without Serena?" Mike tried again to reach the remote. He hoped in the few seconds he had rested that he had either grown, or the remote had moved itself just a little closer.

"What they do is up to them," Kevin got up and picked up the remote for the TV. He took a seat on the couch and turned the TV on to a documentary. Mike groaned but Kevin shook his head and laughed, "See what happens when you're lazy."

"Hey, that was hard work," Mike leaned against the table, "So, what are we watching?"

"Don't know," Kevin shrugged, "but it looks interesting."

"Why is it black and white?" Antonio asked.

"Boo!" Mike called to the TV, "C'mon, people, it's 2012. Where's the colour?"

-Samurai-

The movie had ended long ago and there had been a few laughs and jokes, but the atmosphere had dropped again.

Mia knew Emily was right about the fairy tales. None of them ever started off normal, but they all did end in a happily ever after. Still, Mia came to realize that those were all fiction. They weren't real which meant someone with a pen in their hand could write them a happy ending despite the obvious fact that life kept going beyond the pages of the books, and beyond the wedding day. There were still more mishaps, more mistakes, and more betrayals.

_And more happiness,_ Mia remembered Emily saying. The yellow Ranger had tried to give Mia a positive view on her problem. Emily had done all she could to try and turn what Mia felt was a betrayal by her father into a good thing. Emily reminded Mia how good an older sister she was to the team, and how she always wanted a little brother, and that her family was still healthy and alive.

She was still hurt, deeply hurt, by her father's betrayal. Not even Emily could turn the lie into something good. She had tried by telling Mia that at least her father hadn't run away, but when Mia reminded Emily that her father had moved across the country to be with his fiancée, Emily had shut up completely. Mia burst into tears at that point and fell into Emily's arms. She wept until she wasn't sure why she was crying, the entire time Emily hugged her, rubbed her back comfortingly, and promised her everything would be okay.

Eventually the strokes had started to slow. Mia couldn't cry anymore. She pulled away from Emily. The room was dark, lit only by the lamp on Mia's night table, telling Mia it was getting to be very late, almost time for Kevin to come to bed. Her face was still soaked in tears; her eyes were red and puffy. She wasn't ready to tell anyone else about her brother so she couldn't let Kevin see she had been crying. She would tell him and the others eventually, once she got this all figured out herself. She couldn't tell everyone when she was a wreck.

"Are you okay?" Emily asked her tiredly. The yellow Ranger was ready for bed and her eyelids felt so heavy, but she wouldn't fall asleep when Mia needed her.

Mia shook her head. She wasn't too sure what to say about how she was feeling. Emily just took her hand and squeezed comfortingly. The door to the bedroom opened up and Kevin walked in. He saw both girls sitting on his bed and smiled.

"Sorry if I'm interrupting girl's night," he said, "but I'm ready for bed."

Mia didn't turn around to look at Kevin. She couldn't show him her face without revealing there was something wrong.

"How was your day at the arcade?" she asked.

"Really good, actually," Kevin answered. He grabbed his pyjamas and walked to the bathroom when Emily didn't make a move to get up. He got changed behind the door, leaving it open just a crack so he could talk with Mia, "You're not going to believe it, but I had a lot of fun playing those video games. And I saw a whole new side to Mike today. The day really did help us both to unwind a little."

"That's good," Mia wiped her eyes while Kevin got changed and looked to Emily who gave her a thumbs up.

"He won't know," she whispered.

"You went out for lunch too, right?" Mia asked Kevin.

"Yeah. You know, Mike still can't believe I'd had more than one girlfriend. I show him how to flirt and it works, and he…"

"What?" Emily asked, reminding Kevin she was still in the room and listening to the conversation. Kevin stepped out from behind the door and looked at Emily.

"Harmless flirting," he promised her, "I would never, ever encourage him to do anything more than harmless with…" Emily continued to glare at Kevin. He gulped and shrugged, "the waitress thought Mike and I were on a date anyways."

"Like… Jayden and Antonio kind of date?" Emily laughed and looked at Mia, a bright smile on her face, "Uh, I hate to break it to you, Kevin, but if you and Mike were flirting with the waitress over lunch, and she thinks you're gay, you're not very good at it and I obviously have nothing to worry about."

"Ha-ha," Kevin pointed to the door, "You scram."

Emily's gave Mia's hand another comforting squeeze before she got up and walked out of the room, leaving the couple to bed. Kevin crawled into bed while Mia got up and started to get changed into her pyjamas.

"I've seen you flirting before," Mia said, "I know firsthand how well it works. What exactly where you and Mike doing that made her think you were both gay?"

Kevin chuckled, "You can't breathe a word about this to anyone."

"Kevin, if you and Mike are secretly gay I would be more than happy to call off the wedding so you two could… you know…," Mia teased. Kevin threw a pillow at her.

"Mike's been thinking about proposing to Emily," Kevin told her. "He pulled out the ring and asked me what Emily would say. When I answered yes, the waitress must have thought I was saying yes to marry him."

"With a girly engagement ring?" Mia asked with a laugh, "Seriously."

"I guess. I don't… don't judge."

"I'm not judging," Mia held her hands up defensively, "I'm willing to step aside so you and Mike can be happy together. She was the one judging."

Mia crawled back into bed and cuddled up with Kevin. After the day she had had, she needed his warmth.

"So Mike's really thinking of proposing again soon?"

"I can't say I didn't see this coming," Kevin nodded his head, "They still act like they did when they were engaged."

"I hope he does it soon," Mia sighed, "I'm going to need the distraction."

"Girl's day wasn't enough to relieve the stress?" Kevin asked and he looked down at Mia. She just shook her head.

"Unfortunately, no."


	77. The Older Sisters

Serena held her head in her hands. Now that she was back at work (and hopefully staying this time), she had a lot more to do. She had to care for her son, living with the Rangers was a job and a half in itself, and now she had to come up with a way for the Rangers to relax and feel normal. Unlike her, they couldn't go out and live proper lives. It was too dangerous for them, and the city. So she tried to give the Rangers a way to wind down through their hobbies. Antonio loved to fish, so if she dedicated a few hours a day, or at least a couple afternoons a week where he was free to fish without anyone interrupting him, he rest assured knowing no matter how chaotic things got and no matter how weird life was, there was always something normal to look forward to.

And Jayden seemed happy to tag along, which was great for Serena. If Jayden had asked for something more personal and private she would have had a really hard time with him. Jayden was much better now, but when Serena had first met him, Jayden wouldn't have known what a normal life was if it bit him in the ass. Outside of his training, he had no hobbies, no interests, no life. It was depressing, but it was the sacrifice all red Rangers had made in the previous generations. Still, at the same time Serena scheduled Antonio's fishing hours, she scheduled free time for Jayden, where he could tag along with Antonio if he wanted, or he could do whatever he felt like doing and no one could interrupt him. At least, that way, if it turned out fishing wasn't as relaxing and normal for him as it was for Antonio, he could always find something else that interested him.

Kevin was just as easy as Antonio. There were two things Kevin loved passionately (three if Serena included Mia): his Samurai training and swimming. Kevin got plenty of time to train as a Samurai and practice his skills, but the Shiba House didn't have a pool and he rarely got the chance to get in the water and swim around. Whether it was doing laps, or swimming for fun. The closest Kevin got to the water was the bathtub, or when he traced a symbol and his powers came back on him, usually soaking him from head to toe (which happened rarely, but even the best of the Samurai made mistakes from time to time). Serena left some room in Kevin's schedule for him to head out to a lake, or to the city's community pool so he could practice his swimming talents and get back into the water, certain he would appreciate it.

But she also dedicated some of Kevin's free time with Mike. It was still surprising to Serena, but the boys had told her they wanted to spend more time together. They were like brothers, but they were the kind of brothers who generally kept their distance unless they were needed. After their day together, they seemed to enjoy the bonding time, and if it meant they felt more normal and more relaxed, Serena was happy to give them that time.

Just like with Kevin, Serena split Mike's time in half. Some days he could hang out with Kevin without being bothered, and others he would be allowed to play his video games. He couldn't go to the arcade all the time, for fear that one of his friends would recognize him and ask questions Mike couldn't answer, but Mike had plenty of games, and if Serena needed to, she would buy him as many more as he needed so he could be entertained.

One of the good things about Emily was that she was the little sister. She wanted more responsibility, and she was getting it, but what would never change was how much the team protected her and kept her life as fun and as normal as it could get. The yellow Ranger had never shown a true craving for something normal and, in fact, loved her Samurai life a lot more than her regular one. So Serena gave Emily some free time, just like the others, where she couldn't be interrupted from whatever she was doing, but like Jayden, it was marked as free time. Emily could do whatever she wanted with her time. She could tag along with the others if they allowed it, or she could take some time to herself.

Mia was the trickiest. Serena didn't know what she could do for Mia. The pink Ranger loved to cook, but that hardly seemed like something Mia could count on to keep her feeling like a normal human being. Serena couldn't think of anything else the pink Ranger loved to do that would give her the peace of mind she so desperately craved.

Serena tapped her pencil against the paper on her desk and turned to Terran. He was still wide awake in his crib and had rolled over to see what his mother was doing.

"I hope you never have to do this, Terran," she breathed and then her stomach started to turn and she felt very sick. Just the thought of the Rangers failing to seal Xandred away permanently, like every generation before, was enough to make Serena feel nauseous. If the Rangers couldn't accomplish their goal, and Xandred was only sealed away for a few more years, the responsibility of being a Samurai would fall on Terran's shoulders. Serena would have to raise her son to fight the Nighlok, and she would have to prepare him to sacrifice everything and put his life on the line for the entire planet, hoping he was strong enough to at least survive, if not defeat Xandred for good. Many Samurai had died in the line of duty and many more died not long after their responsibility was over due to their injuries. More, even, were left permanently scarred by the battles. In fact, Serena wasn't even certain there was a single Samurai who hadn't been scarred in some kind of way.

She couldn't remember how painful it had been for her parents when they first realized she would have to become a Samurai, but she remembered every single detail of what her parents went through when she had to pass down her responsibility onto Emily.

"_No!"_ her father had screamed loudly and he pulled a very young and very small Emily into his arms. Serena didn't want to say that Emily was her father's favourite. She knew her father loved her just like he loved Emily, but because she was raised to be a Samurai, and no one ever thought the responsibility would fall on Emily, Jack had gotten used to the idea that he would sent his eldest daughter off to fight monsters, and possibly off to her death. When it hit him that his baby girl, the one he had raised as a normal, innocent country girl, would have to take Serena's place, he refused to let it happen. When Serena tried to pass over the Ape Zord to Emily, he smacked the tiny Zord from Serena's hands and hugged Emily closer.

"_Jack, you had to know it was coming,"_ Serena would never forget the tears in her mother's eyes as she spoke, _"Serena's illness has spread too far…"_

"_She'll be okay!" _if only her father knew. Serena had given up the Ape Zord before they were told her illness was terminal. Emily needed to be trained just in case something happened, _"Give the doctors a few months, they'll figure it out, and once she's better…"_

"_Jack, if Serena does get better she might not be in shape to fight. We have no…"_

"_Then you go back," _Serena watched as her father picked up the Ape Zord and threw it at her mother. Her mother managed to catch the Ape Zord before she or the Zord were hurt but it was already too late. They had been arguing over this for a long time, keeping Serena and Emily right in the middle of the entire affair. Serena was scared and hurt enough by her illness, and knowing she had failed to protect her little sister; and Emily was horrified by her parent's arguing. She was old enough to know there was something going on, but still too young to realize what it was exactly, and what it meant for her. Serena faked a cough, and pretended it got worse and worse until her parents stopped fighting and took her up to her room to rest and they left Emily with her. The fighting resumed downstairs.

Serena had snatched the Ape Zord and held it out to Emily. Emily put the Zord around her neck and then looked to Serena sadly. When Emily took her hand Serena couldn't stop herself anymore and burst into tears. She sat up in bed, _"I'm sorry, because of me, you're going to be in such danger. I just can't bear to think about it."_

She pulled Emily into a strong hug and she remembered that hug lasted hours. Serena cried the entire time over everything that happened while their parents fought. That entire time, Serena had noticed that Emily hadn't shed a single tear.

Back in the present, Serena remembered every single emotion she had felt when she realized just how badly she had failed. She hadn't even gone into battle, and it hadn't been her fault Xandred wasn't gone forever, but she still felt guilty that her sister was forced to go into battle because she hadn't done her job. She was terrified that the day her sister left would be the last day she ever saw her sister alive. She felt hurt because she had let Emily down, and finally, she felt shame because she knew she could have done better, done more, done something different.

She couldn't relive that moment again, not with her son. Everything she had felt that day with her sister would be twice as bad if she knew the son who never asked for life in the first place had to dedicate himself to being a Samurai.

She picked Terran up from his crib and sat him down on her lap. She looked down at the paper on her desk. Giving the Rangers a chance to relax would mean they had a better chance at staying strong and stopping the Nighlok and the Sanzu Water from flooding the world.

As a mother, she knew there were things she was going to have to ask Terran to do, and that she expected him to do whether he wanted to or not, but becoming a Samurai, taking on the responsibility that tested his strength without stopping and pushed his limits far beyond an acceptable challenge was not something she wanted Terran to face.

She looked down at the papers again, feeling like this was all or nothing. She needed to find something for Mia to do.

"Any ideas, kid?" Serena asked her son. Terran just grabbed the paper in his hand.

-Samurai-

Just like Serena, Mia was wide awake in the middle of the night and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep since she had fallen asleep with Emily. Thoughts and theories raced through her head, each more upsetting than the last until finally Mia couldn't take it anymore.

Carefully and quietly so she wouldn't wake up Kevin, Mia opened the drawer to her night table and pulled out the letter. She read it over to see if there had been anything she missed but the letter seemed even vaguer now that she had gone over it in her head so many times. With a loud sigh she shoved the letter back in the drawer. Then she got up and walked down the hall to Emily's room. She didn't bother knocking, she just walked right in.

Emily and Mike were both sound asleep on their own ends of the bed. Mia gently sat down at the foot of the bed and watched them. Everything she knew about being an older sister came from them. With them, she loved her role. She loved everything about being an older sister. The laughs, the fights, the irritations, the fun, it was all something she craved desperately. She had grown up as an only child and while she had many friends, she hadn't let herself get too close to any of them because she knew that she would have to leave them to be a Samurai. Her first best friend and her first real taste at sisterhood had been Emily, and Mike had quickly followed, giving Mia and idea of what it would have been like to have a younger brother. It was a different experience entirely, and one she loved, but it was a relationship she wasn't sure she wanted to have with anyone but Mike.

She didn't know what to think of this strange, new, little brother, but she knew one thing: she despised her father. She felt like a five year old again, when her parents had left her with her grandmother while her mother fought the Nighlok. Her father had left her to go with her mother, scared he was going to lose her. He wanted to spend every moment he could with his wife in case she never came home and had abandoned Mia. In his mind, he would return to his daughter, and needed the time to be with his wife, but in Mia's young mind, both her parents had left her, had turned her world upside down. She had been broken hearted then, and she was broken hearted now.

"Is everything okay?" Mia turned around and saw Serena standing in the doorway, a look of deep concern on her face. Mia nodded her head.

"Yeah, it's nothing. I couldn't sleep."

"Neither could I," Serena sighed. "I've been up all night trying to help you with your normal life. I've got ideas for everyone except you."

"Don't worry about it," Mia whispered and looked back at Mike and Emily, "I'll figure something out."

Serena glanced down the hall at her bedroom door. She could picture her baby boy fast asleep in his crib and suddenly an image of Emily passing down the Samuraizer and the Ape Zord to Terran flashed in her mind. She shook her head.

"I'll do what I can to help. Whatever you need; just let me know."

Mia nodded her head and slowly got up. Unless she wanted to scare Mike and Emily if they woke up and found her in their room, she was going to have to leave. She walked by Serena who suddenly pulled her into a hug. Mia knew she wasn't doing the best job at hiding how upset she was, and Serena just figured Mia was still stressed.

The hug helped her feel better in a way, and then Mia pulled away and looked to Serena. She was the only person who would be able to help Mia with her problem.

"Did you like Emily?"

"What? Of course I like her. She's my sister."

"Stay here," Mia said and she walked down to her room. She grabbed her letter and showed it to Serena. The earth Samurai read it over and her eyes widened to the point where Mia was scared her eyeballs were going to fall right out of her eyes.

"You have a brother?"

Mia took the letter back and looked at it again, "How did you feel when you first found out?"

"Shocked," Serena answered and Mia looked up, "Oh, you mean about Emily?"

"I don't know what to do."

Serena took Mia's hand, "Come with me."

"Where?"

"My room," Serena answered with a smile. "When I found out mom was pregnant I was so excited. Even more excited when I heard I was getting a sister and not a smell baby brother. When Emily was born… I loved her to death, but it did occur to me that I would sleep better at night and get more attention from my parents if I suffocated her in her sleep."

Mia laughed slightly. Serena wrapped one arm around the pink Ranger, "I can only imagine this is more frustrating and confusing for you. We'll share stories and stuff until we pass out."


	78. Terry's Arrival

"Can't catch me!" Antonio cried as he jumped out of Jayden's path just in time to avoid Jayden's sword. He had been dodging Jayden's hits since Jayden had suggested he needed practice avoiding hits instead of going all in during a battle.

"This is getting annoying," Jayden said with a smirk and dropped his sword. Training for the two boys suddenly took an unexpected turn as Jayden began to chase Antonio around the dojo.

"Now you think you can outrun me?" Antonio laughed, dropping his weapons as well. He glanced over his shoulder, "I'm the team speedster, remember? No one can… OOPH!" Antonio hadn't been looking where he was going and ran right into Kevin as the blue Ranger joined the two boys for training. Antonio fell back and landed on his butt while Kevin stumbled slightly but managed to stay on his feet. Jayden helped Antonio up.

"Speed is nothing if you keep running into things," Jayden teased and Antonio returned the teasing with a mock hurt look. He rubbed his butt with his hands.

"I'm sore. Kiss it better."

"Yeah right," Jayden playfully shoved his boyfriend.

Kevin picked up his training sword and looked around the room. When he had woken up Mia hadn't been next to him. On a normal day he was usually the first to wake and Mia would join him for breakfast or training. If ever she was up first, Kevin could usually find her in one of three places: the kitchen, where she hadn't been, the common room, which was empty, or the dojo, which she obviously wasn't in.

"Either of you seen Mia?"

Antonio stopped trying to get Jayden to kiss his butt to answer Kevin, "Serena said she and Mia had a sleepover in her room."

"Mia went to bed with me," Kevin frowned, "Why would she get up in the middle of the night?"

"Maybe you snore?" Jayden suggested.

Kevin shook his head. He wouldn't deny that from time to time he snored, but it had never been enough for Mia to leave him in the middle of the night.

He set his sword down and started to walk to the door just as Emily passed by the dojo. If Serena and Mia had had a sleepover surely Emily would have been invited.

"Em, wait up," he called and rushed after her. He grabbed her arm, "I wanted to ask you something about Mia?"

Emily suddenly looked down very nervously. Kevin knew her well enough to know she was hiding something. He stood tall in front of her, hands crossed over his chest.

"Emily…"

"Yes."

"What?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "Nothing."

Kevin remembered Emily was good at keeping secrets but she was a horrible liar. He knew if she was hiding something he would never get the truth from her but he could get her to give him clues.

"So it doesn't bother you that Mia and Serena seemed to have a sleepover last night and you weren't invited?" for a very quick second, Kevin noticed a look of confusion on Emily's face, just before she shook her head.

"Who says I wasn't invited?"

"Well, I just figured you wouldn't want to miss out on all the girl talk. You know, the secrets and stuff you girls only share with other girls."

Emily shook her head again, "If we're sharing secrets, I guess you'll never know if I was there or not."

"I guess not," Kevin nodded his head and stepped aside, giving Emily access to the kitchen, "After you."

As he let Emily pass, Kevin glanced over to Serena's door. Emily was hiding something and it worried him that it had something to do with Mia.

"Morning, dude," just like always, Mike was right behind Emily. He gave Kevin a pat on the back as he walked by. The blue Ranger caught his arm before he could walk into the kitchen.

"Mia would tell you if there was something up with Emily, right?"

"What's up with Emily?"

"Nothing, just hypothetically."

"Okay, hypothetically, what's up with Emily? She seems fine to me."

"It's not Emily I'm worried about."

"But then why are you…?" Mike grabbed his head with his hands, "Dude, it's too early. I'm only up because both Emily and Scruffy insisted I get out of bed. Stop confusing me with your gibberish and just tell me if I should worry about Emily or no."

"Just answer my question," Mike stared up blankly at Kevin. The blue Ranger sighed, "Mia would tell you if there was something going on with Emily, right?"

"If she thought I needed to know, yeah," Mike nodded his head. "Girls tell each other stuff they don't tell us. Just let it go, dude.

Kevin sighed, assuming Mike was right. He and Mia were close and they did share almost everything, but he had to respect that there were some secrets she probably only wanted to share with her girlfriends. As long as it was nothing too important, and nothing that concerned him or their relationship, he was just going to have to let it go.

Mike was just about to walk into the kitchen when he suddenly turned around, "So I have nothing to worry about with Emily?"

"No," Kevin shook his head and chuckled, "Just go fall asleep in your bowl of cheerios and we'll pretend this never happened."

"Sounds like a plan," Mike smiled.

-Samurai-

For most of the day, Mia didn't leave Serena's room. She didn't know how to face her friends anymore. Kevin would have noticed she hadn't been in bed when he woke up and he was going to ask where she had gone all night. Eventually her friends would catch on that there was something wrong, but she wasn't ready to tell them. She had only told Emily because she needed to share when she first got the news herself, and she had told Serena because she was the only person who could give Mia advice on what it was like to learn she was an older sister.

And Serena had been quite helpful, but all the advice and support in the world couldn't seem to cheer her up. Somewhere in the world was her little brother, and she had no idea what he meant.

She didn't have much in the ways of a family, but the one thing her family had done that had really given her a reason to be proud was that in spite of everything they had done to each other, there was still love. Mia had seen it in her parents' eyes, right up until the day she left for the Shiba House. They loved each other and were great friends, but they couldn't be man and wife anymore.

But Mia had to wonder if they were still friends because her mother didn't know about Mia's brother, or because she had forgiven her then husband for sleeping with another woman while they were married, but decided to keep it a secret from Mia.

_Maybe that was why they fought all the time,_ Mia thought to herself as she rolled one of Terran's balls towards the little boy. The game was hours of fun for him, but mindless for Mia, who was so tuned out she couldn't hear Terran's cries of protest when the ball was too far for him to reach.

"Mia!" the pink Ranger was pulled from her thoughts by Emily's voice. She looked up and saw the yellow Ranger holding Terran and the ball in her hands, "Are you okay?"

Mia shook her head and sighed. Emily sat down next to her best friend. She put Terran in Mia's lap and hoped the little boy could cheer his aunt up. Emily rested her head on Mia's shoulder.

"The letter was cruel," Emily whispered, "He should have told you in person, face to face. Even if it meant flying all the way back here for an afternoon. He's the parent. You're the child."

"That doesn't help me feel better, Emily."

"I know. But just in case you feel silly for being upset or you think you're being stupid. I always felt better when I remembered I was crying for a good reason."

Mia nodded her head and hugged Terran, "No matter how many times she gets hit in the head, you listen to your Auntie Emy, okay little Monster? She's smart."

Terran just babbled incoherently and tried to reach for the ball again. He wasn't listening at all and it was obvious. Mia laughed and hugged him a little closer; "If my brother's half as cute as you, maybe I'll actually…" she trailed off as music reached her ear. The tune was familiar but Mia couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Emily heard it as well and looked to Mia curiously, "I thought I was the only one who made random music."

"That's not a flute, it sounds like a guitar," Mia said. She got to her feet and with Terran still in her arms she followed the sound of the music to the front of the house. She and Emily stepped outside and the song was a little louder. Mia saw Serena standing by the house and while it seemed very unlikely Serena was playing the guitar, Mia prayed that was the answer.

"Mia," Serena turned around and Mia's eyes widened. She still hadn't seen who was playing the guitar, but she finally recognized the song. It was the song her father would sing and play for her, the song he had dedicated to her.

Mia put Terran in Emily's arms and walked up next to Serena. She had a look at the boy playing the guitar and her heart stopped.

"Where did you learn that song?" she forced out. The boy stopped playing and looked up. When he saw her he smiled.

"Dad taught it to me. He said it was our song."

"He says his name is Terry," Serena put her hand on Mia's arm. "He's here to visit his sister…"

"Are you Mia?" Terry stood up and held out his hand, "Dad's told me so much…"

"He's never mentioned you," Mia spat out and ran off, away from the house, wiping the tears from her eyes as she fled.

"Mia!" Emily called and stepped forward to go after her but Serena shook her head.

"I'll go," she said, "You stay with Terry. Introduce him to the others."

"But Mia…"

"Can't hide this anymore," Serena interrupted. "Big sister talk, okay squirt?"

Emily sighed and nodded her head. Serena rushed off after Mia before the pink Ranger got too far. Emily just turned to Terry. Being his chaperon was a little uncomfortable, but she couldn't turn him away now.

She gestured to the house, "Do you, uh…"

"I know all about the Samurai," Terry nodded his head, "Dad told me before I came here. He thought it was important I knew what I was setting myself up for. I think it's pretty sweet. My big sister's a Power Ranger!"

"So, what brings you here?"

"I wanted to meet her," Terry answered and scratched the back of his neck, "I've always wanted to meet her, and it works perfectly."

"What does?"

"My band's playing a gig at the hospital in town," Terry said, "We're volunteering to sing to patients. You know, cheer them up a little."

"You're going to sing for the sick patients?" Emily asked and she couldn't hide the smile on her face. When Serena had been in the hospital she had seen several people and groups perform for the hospital and she had actually enjoyed it. Serena couldn't take Emily out to see shows, or even out to dinner, so the hospital entertainment was the closest they could get, and no matter the performance, both sisters always felt better afterwards.

"Well, I'm not going to sing," Terry shook his head and pointed to his guitar, "I'm okay, but we need a real singer and dad tells me Mia's awesome."

"She is?"

"Does she sing?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "I've heard her singing in the shower and sometimes just for fun with me or the guys… but never seriously or… you're going to sing for the sick?"

"Yeah," Terry laughed as Emily spoke in circles, "It should be pretty…" Terry was taken by surprise when Emily hugged him. After a minute she pulled away and recomposed herself.

"Emily," she held out her hand for Terry to shake.

"Terry," as soon as he took her hand Emily pulled Terry into the house to show him off to the others.

-Samurai-

When Serena found Mia sitting at the foot of a tree she walked right up to the pink Ranger and stood over her. She could feel her own face twisting in disappointment as she glared down at Mia like her mother had once glared down at her.

"Terry never asked for this either."

"What…?"

"Siblings suck," Serena said, "Suddenly you have to share everything. Toys, treats, friends, the TV, in my case it was a bedroom. You even have to share your parents. Emily and I may look like we get along, but we fought regularly growing up. There were times I hated her."

"It's different, Serena…"

"It's no different," Serena shook her head, "Terry didn't ask to be your brother. He didn't choose his parents, he didn't choose his life."

"So…"

"Your father made the mistake. Your father lied to you. Your father kept secrets. Your father screwed his mother and created him. Terry's done nothing wrong. Being mad at him for what happened would be like me being mad at Emily for being born, or being mad at Terran because he's part Nighlok."

"Serena…"

"It's the same thing," Serena stated again. "It's my fault Terran's a Nighlok. It's because of me he's alive. It's your father's fault you have a brother. Don't you think, if Terry had a chance, he would have joined some other family? His own family?"

Serena took a seat next to Mia. She wrapped her arms around the pink Ranger, "You're upset. I get it. It's a big change, it's a lot to happen all at once, and it's probably really scary. You're allowed to be mad and hurt and frustrated, but you have to remember who the guilty party is and who is innocent."

"You're not going to make me like him," Mia shook her head.

"I'm not trying to," Serena answered, "I'm just telling you to be fair. He's in the exact same boat you're in."

"That song he played," Mia whispered and pulled in closer to Serena, "Dad said that was our song, just ours."

"And you're upset that he shared your song with Terry?"

Mia nodded her head, "It's not fair."

"It's a lot to get used to," Serena nodded, "but I promise it'll get easier. And I'm not saying you have to, but maybe you'll grow to like your brother."

"Terry," Mia corrected Serena.

"Terry," Serena said, "Maybe you'll like him. I didn't talk to him much, but he seems like a sweet kid. Maybe you can be his friend. Or, you'll meet him, you'll get your questions answered, and then you and he will go off on different paths. It's up to you."

Mia nodded her head but she didn't say anything. She rested her head on Serena's shoulder. The earth Samurai rubbed her back soothingly.

"If you want to be mad at Terry, though, he's not around," Serena whispered, "You can say what you want about him to me in confidence and I swear this will never be repeated or talked about again."

"Just about Terry?" Mia looked up.

Serena chuckled, "Say what you want. No one's listening but me."

Mia nodded and she started on a rant, using words and a language she never thought she would use when she talked about anyone, especially her family. The more she talked, the more she wound herself up, but Serena's attention never faltered, and she never interrupted, and never said a word until the very end, when Mia had said all she wanted to say and more.

"It's okay."


	79. Mia and Terry Meet

"The guys don't know about you," Emily said to Terry as she pulled him through the house, purposely avoiding the rooms where the boys were in. She was excited to introduce Mia's brother to them, but she needed to cover some things first.

"Yeah, I kind of figured," Terry laughed. "I grew up my whole life knowing about Mia, but dad only just told her about me when he sent that letter."

"You knew?" Emily suddenly turned around and looked to Terry very curiously. He nodded his head.

"There were pictures of her everywhere in dad's house and his weekends always revolved around her."

"Why would you know, but not Mia?"

"Dad said she had enough to focus on," Terry answered as Emily led him into her room. She let him sit on hers and Mike's bed while she grabbed a desk chair and took a seat, holding Terran on her lap. "I've always wanted to meet her, though."

"And you know she's… we're Samurai?"

Terry nodded, "Dad didn't want me coming here. He says it's too dangerous, but I knew the Shiba House was here and I just couldn't resist. Dad knows I'm here for the hospital gig, and I guess he figured I'd stop by to meet Mia, but I promised him I would stay safe."

"Well, you're safe with us," Emily promised him, "But I'm not so sure about the meeting Mia thing. That letter really upset her."

"I know," Terry sighed, "Dad's not really the… He used to talk about Mia all the time. He really loves her."

"The letter would suggest otherwise," Emily muttered. Terry shook his head.

"I know what it looks like," he said, "It's cold and impersonal and not how a father should tell his daughter she's got a brother. But Mia's been away for such a long time, and he hasn't seen or heard from her for so long that he's kind of scared."

"Scared?"

"I'm his boy," Terry said, "He knows how to talk to his boy. He's been a great dad. Actually, he's been like a brother to me. But it's different with Mia. He says she's more fragile."

"Because she's a girl?" Emily crossed her arms over her chest, "You're dad kind of sounds like a…"

"He doesn't know how to talk to her anymore," Terry interrupted. "He's messing up. Mom and I tried to tell him the letter was a bad idea, but he wouldn't listen. He said he didn't know how else to tell her."

"Your parents still talk?"

"They're getting married," Terry nodded. "After fourteen years off and on, they're finally getting married."

Terry had a bright smile on his face and it was obvious he was happy, delighted even, that his parents were getting married, like it was a dream come true. But Emily knew what this would mean for Mia. Terry was getting everything Mia wanted since her parents divorced. He was getting her happily ever after. Terry's smile slipped from his face when Emily didn't respond to him at all.

"Um, Emily," Terry waved his hand in front of her face, "Are you… are you still here? The Nighlok didn't hit you in the head one too many times, did they?"

Emily blinked before shaking her head, clearing her thoughts. She looked to Terry and smiled.

"You must be happy."

"Really excited," Terry nodded. "Dad wants to wait for Mia before the wedding day, though. He wants her there. He says she loved weddings."

"She does," Emily got up, "I should introduce you to the others. But be warned, I have no idea how they'll react. Like I said, they don't have a clue about you."

Emily took Terry by the hand and pulled him along into the common room. Kevin was already sitting with a book in his hands. When he saw Emily leading a stranger in by the hand he didn't know what to say. Not only was she every breaking the rules of the Shiba House (again), but he was certain Mike wouldn't approve.

"Sit here," Emily pointed to Mia's stool and then shook her head, changing her mind. She pointed to her own stool instead, "Or here, rather."

To Terry they were just stools, "Uh, okay," he took a seat while Emily called the rest of the house to the room. The boys and Ji gathered and they all gave Terry very strange looks.

"Here you go," Emily put Terran in Kevin's lap, hoping she could contain whatever emotion Kevin was going to express when he heard the news. She then walked behind Terry and placed her hands on his shoulder. She looked to the other Samurai, "Guys, we have a guest."

She looked around first, trying to gage their reaction. Terry wasn't going to be easy to introduce, but she wanted to do it as peacefully as possible for Mia's sake.

While everyone seemed very confused, Mike was the first to look somewhat uncomfortable. Emily had seen this coming, though. She knew this must have looked strange to him, and she also didn't have a good history in trusting strangers. She looked down at Terry though, "Do you want to introduce yourself?"

"The name's Terry," he looked to the other boys and he was hoping Emily had been right when she promised he was safe at the Shiba House, "I'm, uh… I'm Mia's brother."

The silence after that was long. No one really knew what to say. No one knew if they could believe what they were hearing.

Finally, Kevin shook his head, "Mia doesn't have a brother."

"She does," Emily nodded and rushed off suddenly, leaving Terry alone with all the boys. He gulped, unsure of what he was afraid of, but very certain he had good reason to be afraid.

When Emily came back she had a letter in her hands. She wasn't sure if Mia wanted anyone else to read it, but they were going to find out what it said eventually, and this was the only proof she had that Terry wasn't lying. Kevin gave it a quick read then he looked at Terry, and then read it again. When he was done he passed the letter over to Jayden to read as well and he glared at Terry.

"The letter could be faked," as he said that, Emily felt Mike grabbing her arm as he pulled her behind himself and glared at Terry. "This could be a Nighlok trick. It's been a while."

"Are you serious?" Terry frowned; a little insulted he was being mistaken for the monsters in the city. "Mia's my sister, well, half-sister, technically, but…"

"Mia's dad never told her about Terry," Emily explained, coming to Terry's defence. The boys were protective, but they didn't have to be. Terry was going to be on the receiving end of quite a few punches if the air wasn't cleared soon, "Mia got the letter yesterday and she's been devastated since."

"It's what the Nighlok do, Emily," Mike told her. "They do whatever they can to break us down."

"Terry's real," Emily reached over to Jayden and took the letter from his hands. She showed it to Mike and Kevin, "I know it's a shock, but…"

"You're always doing this, Emily," Mike shook his head, "You trust too much. Do you remember what happened when you trusted Frankie?"

"Mike…" Antonio called to warn him.

"You walked right into his house and he…"

"I trust him," Serena interrupted Mike as she and Mia returned to the house. All eyes instantly shifted to Mia and she nodded her head. Kevin was by her side in a moment, holding her tight in his arms. He could tell she was still upset.

"Why didn't you say anything?" he asked her.

"I didn't know what to say," Mia whispered. Then she turned to Terry and pointed to her bedroom down the hall, "I think we should talk."

"Of course," Terry nodded and he followed Mia into the bedroom. He looked around, seeing the room was mostly bare except for a few pictures and personal items on the night table, desk, and dressers. Terry was instantly drawn to the pictures. Though he had seen many of Mia in his father's home, it was different seeing them and seeing her in real life than just staring at a single picture. He saw one of Mia with both her parents and it seemed to be taken recently, or as recently as possible given the no contact rule. "Dad still has this picture framed."

"What?" Mia sat down on her bed and pulled at a loose thread. Terry picked up the picture and showed it to her. Mia smiled when she saw it.

"Mom and dad got along for my sake," she said, "But I wonder if they would have if my mom knew about…"

"Dad didn't cheat on your mom," Terry said, "At least, not in the stories he's told me. He said the relationship was over when he met my mom and… you know."

"You're older than my parents' divorce."

"Just barely," Terry said. He set the picture down and looked at Mia, "I'm guessing you have a lot of questions. I'll do my best to answer them."

Mia shrugged her shoulders. She had a million questions for her father, but she had nothing for Terry.

"Dad always talked about you, you know," Terry said, "He was so proud of you, and I always caught him watching the Rangers on the news. Before he told me why, I thought it was weird he was worried about monster attacks on the other side of the country but…"

"Dad always talked about me?" Mia frowned, "How often is always? Have you always…"

"Known? Yeah."

Mia clenched her fists. It was taking a lot of strength to not lash out at Terry, but she reminded herself of what Serena had told her in the forest. Terry was not the one to blame. He hadn't asked for this either.

"Dad said you had a lot on your plate already," Terry explained to Mia, "You have the fate of the world on your shoulders. You didn't need to worry about a little brother… at least, that's what he said."

Mia looked over at Terry as he turned back to the pictures and her tokens from home, "He thinks, just because I'm a Samurai, that means he doesn't have to tell me I have a little brother?"

"He said I would be a burden," Terry nodded, "You needed to focus. You had been through so much already with your mom being the pink Ranger before you, and moving in with your grandmother, and all that training and…"

"Dad really didn't hold back anything when he talked to you, huh? So, what, did he think telling me in the middle of my Ranger duties was going to be better than just being honest with me all those years ago?"

"Dad said you didn't need the burden of a sibling. He was going to tell you one day, I guess, just not yet."

"Burden of a… Serena and Emily are sisters. They're amazing Samurai. Stronger for it, if anything."

"Wait, Serena and Emily are sisters?" Terry frowned, "But I thought Emily was the yellow Ranger."

"Yeah," Mia nodded.

"Dad said firstborns had the duty of becoming the family Samurai. Unless I'm missing something, Serena looks way older than Emily."

"Serena got sick."

"She did?"

"It was a big mess," Mia nodded her head as she explained. "Serena started feeling sick but she couldn't let Emily take her place. She didn't think it was anything bad but by the time she realized it was, and her family learned she was sick, it was too late."

"Wow," Terry breathed, "I guess I get why dad never told you about me."

Mia shook her head, "You're not a Samurai. It wouldn't have happened like that."

"You wouldn't sacrifice yourself for your little brother?" Terry asked. "If you had known about me and we were actually, you know, brother and sister."

"I guess," Mia shrugged her shoulders, "But that's still no excuse. Dad should have told me."

"I've always wanted to meet you," Terry smiled, "I thought it was pretty cool having a big sister."

"No offence, but I don't really think anything of you right now," Mia muttered. Terry nodded his head.

"I guess that's fine. I understand you have a lot to think about," he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. He gave it to Mia, "Look, I know this is going to be really weird and maybe a little too… just not right, but I'm in town with my band. We got a gig at the local hospital playing for the sick; only we don't have a singer."

"So?"

"Dad says you're amazing."

Mia shook her head, "I don't know about that."

"My band mates don't even have to know we're related, and it can be a one-time thing if you want. You're saving the world and that's so much more awesome than being a rockstar, and so much more important too. I just… we need help."

"Sorry, Terry."

"You don't even have to sing well, if that's what you're worried about. The point of the gig is… well, I'll be honest, it looks good for our band, but the people we're playing for just want to have fun. You'll be helping them out. Isn't that what Rangers do?"

"I'm sorry, Terry. No."

"I guess I should have expected this," Terry sighed. "I'll get out of your hair. You've got so much more important stuff to do. It was really cool meeting you, Mia."

Mia nodded but said nothing as she walked Terry out of the Shiba House, making sure he had everything with him. Just as she closed the door behind him, Antonio started to race down the hall.

"Where's your brother?"

"_Terry_ left."

"Is it true he has a band?"

"He said something about…"

"Tell him to wait up!" Antonio started bouncing to his room, "Dude, this is so sick! Those guitar lessons might finally pay off!"

Mia just rolled her eyes and sighed. She walked back to the common room and saw a roomful of people watching her, waiting for her to say or do something so they could react. Behind her, Antonio raced by with his guitar, calling for Terry to wait up as he ran out of the house.

"Sorry about him," Jayden said, thinking he owed Mia and apology on Antonio's behalf, "Apparently fish boy has rockstar dreams too."

"Whatever," Mia shrugged and took a seat on her stool. Kevin took her hand and Serena sat beside her, rubbing her back.

"Little siblings, huh," she joked, "Such a pain in the ass."

"Hey," Emily threw a pillow at Serena and then looked to Mia, "You probably don't like him, but he seemed really sweet. His band is playing at the hospital."

She then nudged Mike who sighed loudly, "Which is not something a Nighlok would do."

"And…" Emily added.

"And instead of bringing up past mistakes, I should just trust Emily and her decisions, and I should support her no matter what, because with the exception of Frankie, Emily's an awesome judge of character. After all, she trusted me despite all the warning signs."

"Good boy," Emily smiled and gave Mike a pat on the head. Serena instantly responded as she imitated flogging a whip. Mike stuck his tongue out, which only made Serena laugh a little harder and she smiled at Mia.

"But sometimes, little siblings do something that'll really make you proud and you'll fall in love all over again, right Emy?"

"Right," Emily nodded her head and looked at Mike, "And…"

"And if Emily hadn't of trusted me, I would have died alone with no one to love me. I'm so very lucky she took a chance on me."

"And…"

"Seriously?"

"You brought up Frankie, not me. You pay the price, Michael. One kiss."

"A kiss?" Mia frowned and she wondered why Mike would hesitate to kiss Emily.

"Wait for it," Serena smirked, "I taught my sister well."

Mike sighed and clapped his hands. As usual, Scruffy came running, paying no attention to where he was going. Mike grabbed his collar and then pressed his lips to Scruffy's mouth for a quick kiss. When it was over, he pulled away, let go of the dog, and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. Emily gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"What did we learn?"

"To never talk about or bring up the incident with Frankie."

While the Samurai laughed, Serena looked to Mia, who seemed to have enjoyed Mike's punishment. She gave the pink Ranger a gentle nudge and smiled, "If things had been different, I'm sure you would have been proud to call Terry your brother."

"Maybe," Mia shrugged, "But I'm not ready yet."

"You've always been a big sister, Mia. Mike and Emily will vouch for that, I'm sure. You do what you want, but I think Terry will be good for you in the long run. There's nothing like having a little sibling."


	80. The Normal Happy Family

Antonio caught up to Terry in the forest, just before he reached the bus stop at the end of town. He put his hands on Terry's shoulder and the younger boy jumped a foot in the air, startled. He hadn't heard Antonio calling his name. He hadn't heard much. Realistically, he hadn't expected anything wonderful when he imagined his meeting with his older sister, but ideally he had dreamed she would accept him right away and they would be the very best of friends.

His father spoke so much about her; Terry felt he already knew her. He had always looked up to her, even before knowing she was a Samurai and a Power Ranger. He dreamed that the day they met, she would take him in and be his older sister.

He knew it was just a dream, and he knew Mia had been hurt too much by everything that had just been revealed to her. He wasn't surprised she would turn him away and send him back, but he was still hurt.

When he turned around he saw Antonio. He was holding a guitar, where the body was shaped like a fish. It was a weird design, but Terry even through his hurt had to laugh.

"You play?" he asked.

"I took lessons between school and fishing," Antonio nodded his head. "Emily told me what you were doing, and that you have a band."

"We already have a guitar player;" Terry gestured to the guitar on his back, "What we need is a singer," Terry reached into backpack and pulled out a folder. He gave it to Antonio, "This is a song my father sang with me and, from Mia's reaction when she heard me playing it, and it's the same song he sung with her."

"Looks fun," Antonio smiled and he sang the first couple of lines. Terry smiled.

"Hey, that's actually pretty cool," he said, "You play and sing?"

"Best voice in the Shiba House," Antonio nodded, "Though I don't really have much competition. Mike sings like a squirrel in a wood chipper, and when the others aren't much better."

"Dad says Mia was pretty amazing."

"Mia?" Antonio seemed surprised. Terry wasn't sure how to take it.

"Have you ever heard her sing?"

"Not on her own. But, you know, I wouldn't be surprised if she hid that from us," Antonio smiled to Terry, "But if she's not going to help you out, I've always wanted to be in a band. You seem like a good kid, and this gig is for a really good cause so… could I?"

Terry shrugged his shoulders, "Why not? I'll have to talk to the band but we're getting desperate I'm sure… what?" Terry looked down at his arm as Antonio grabbed him and squeezed. His eyes were fixed on something over Terry's shoulder. The boy turned around and terror filled his body. He had seen the Nighlok on the news back home so many times, he knew what they looked like, but he never thought he would meet one in real life. They were terrifying.

"What do we have here?" the Nighlok stepped forward while Antonio pulled Terry behind his back.

"Back off, Serrator," Antonio growled. He reached for his Samurai Morpher, but Serrator shook his head, making Antonio think twice, "What?"

"Who is going to protect the boy while you are on the phone with your friends?"

Antonio glanced over his shoulder, "Terry, run," but Terry was frozen in fear. The Nighlok were much more terrifying in person. Antonio shoved him roughly, "RUN!"

But it was too late.

-Samurai-

After kissing the dog, Mike and everyone except Mia and Kevin went off to the dojo for a training session.

Kevin sat on his stool, unsure of what to do or say. He looked over to Mia, who played with Terran half-heartedly. He could tell she was still very upset by the news and her brother's arrival. He wanted to cheer her up and make things better for her, but he wasn't sure how. Instead, he decided to slide off his stool and sit with her and Terran on the floor. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her.

"Are you okay?" he asked. Mia continued to play with Terran. She didn't look at him.

"Nothing's changed, really," she said, "If you think about it, I've always had a brother. The only difference now is that I know about him. It's not like he's just appeared."

"That's exactly what it is, Mia. It's okay if this bothers you."

"Serena says I shouldn't be angry with him. I'm trying not to be, but I still don't want anything to do with him. Why can't everything just be normal for me, for once?"

"You know, aside from the whole fighting Nighlok thing, we're normal. You and I, we're just like every other couple. It's real and it's normal."

"But that's aside from the Nighlok thing," Mia rolled her eyes. "This is all screwed up. We're so… odd and dysfunctional and…"

"Like a real family," Kevin chuckled. He pulled Mia in closer and pointed to Terran, "Look at this kid. He's from a single parent family. His mother's a Samurai who dated a Nighlok. Dysfunctional."

"Poor kid…" Mia wrapped Terran in her arms. Kevin smiled.

"Mia. He's the happiest little guy I've ever met."

"How many babies do you meet?"

"He's always smiling, he's always giggling. And how long has it been since he's been a Nighlok? He only does that when he's scared or unhappy."

"He knows not to…"

"Because he feels safe. This is dysfunctional, but it's his normal. He's loved, that's all he needs."

Kevin gestured to the dojo, "Jayden was raised by Mentor Ji. He's never had a _normal _life, but I don't think he's unhappy. He's still having fun with us; he's still an awesome guy. I think, if we swapped his life for a _normal_ one, he would probably enjoy it for about a day before he started kicking Nighlok butt again. And Antonio… boy, is he weird or what? He's the definition of not normal."

Mia laughed just a little bit. Kevin smiled and hugged her tighter.

"And don't even get me started on the Mike, Emily, Serena trio. Mike's already one of the strangest and most dysfunctional people I've ever met, but he seems pretty happy. Emily, it's obvious she loves this life, especially when we're all being weird. And Serena, there's a reason she stays here. She could be back at the farm with her parents, living a normal single parent life, but she chooses to be here, in this house, living this life you call dysfunctional."

"What are you saying?" Mia asked.

"I'm saying, as screwed up as my life feels, and even when I think I need some time away from it, I still wouldn't give it up for anything in this world, no matter how perfect or normal or happy it seems. After all, my weird life gave me you."

"Aw," Mia smiled and leaned in for a kiss, "You're so cheesy."

"I try," Kevin chuckled, "Normal isn't exciting. The guy living that normal life is looking for more, I know he is."

"I've just always wanted that perfect family," Mia sighed. "Two parents, their kids, maybe a dog."

"Well, we are the _mommy and daddy_ of the house, right?" Kevin smirked. Mia looked up to him curiously.

"That's what the others call us."

"Mentor could be, I don't know, the grandpa."

Mia laughed and looked down at Terran, "He has been calling himself grandpa Ji since Terran was born."

"Jayden's like, the oldest kid," Kevin smiled as he continued, "He's in charge of the little demons and really independent, but not above joining them in their antics from time to time."

"Like the older brother," Mia laughed and Kevin nodded.

"Mike's right after him. Let's just say… he's suffering from middle child syndrome, which explains why he's always so loud and never listens to a word we say. And he's a pain in the butt."

"Makes sense."

"Antonio's the adopted cousin we had to take in. Never quite fitting in, so he's weird even in our family, but he's still family."

"And Emily?"

"Duh, little sister," Kevin laughed.

"Serena?"

"The aunt, from your side. You know, the kind of aunt who whips the kids into shape, but sometimes acts like a kid herself."

"Terran?"

"The only person in this family who isn't an oddball… yet," Kevin put Terran in his lap, "But we're working on that, aren't we?"

Mia pulled into Kevin, "Thanks."

"Feel better?"

"A bit."

"What about Terry?"

"We'll see what happens," Mia shrugged, "Maybe next time I meet him things will be a little better. This was just too much too fast."

Kevin nodded his head before he leaned in and kissed Mia. He was so happy he could make her feel better. It always killed him when he saw she was hurting and he knew there was nothing he could do to help, though he never would stop trying.

After they kissed, they started to play with Terran again until they heard the front door open. They remembered Antonio had run out after Terry and figured it was just the gold Ranger coming back.

"Did you catch up to him?" Kevin called but there was no response. "Antonio?"

There was still no answer. Kevin and Mia exchanged looks before they got to their feet. Mia held Terran in her arms as they slowly approached the front door. Kevin was one step ahead of her. Suddenly he grabbed her arm.

"Get the others."

"What?"

"Get the others," Kevin repeated and gave her a shove to the dojo while he rushed to the front door. Antonio was on the ground, barely breathing. He was beaten badly and bleeding heavily from one cut on his arm. Kevin fell by his side as Mia gasped, horrified by what she saw. Kevin gently shook Antonio, trying to get him to wake up, "Antonio, what happened? C'mon, wake up."

Instincts suddenly took over for Mia as she rushed over and handed Terran over to Kevin. She looked at Antonio as he started to come to.

"Where's my brother?" she asked. Antonio had gone after Terry, and there was no doubt in her mind that the resident speedster had caught up to him before the attack, putting him in danger.

"Serrator," Antonio whispered. It was all Mia needed to hear. In a flash she was on her feet and out the door.


	81. Serrator's Trap

Mia was starting to like her battles with Dayu and Dekker. At least she knew them well enough to make them a little more predictable and easier to find. Serrator was still new, and hadn't shown his face much so while Mia was sure he had taken off with her brother, she had no idea where he was hiding or what he would do to Terry.

Her Samuraizer rang constantly as the others tried to reach her. She wanted to answer to tell them to come as quickly as they could, but she needed to focus on searching for her brother. She couldn't waste any time talking to the others. Unlike when the Samurai were in danger, Terry was completely vulnerable. He hadn't been trained at all to be a Samurai and he wasn't even related to the pink Samurai family. He had no ties whatsoever.

"Why did you take him?" Mia whispered as she looked around the forest. She figured Serrator had to be hiding somewhere in the woods because he hadn't triggered a single Gap Sensor, making him almost impossible to find.

Almost.

-Samurai-

While the others were in the common room, trying to figure out where Mia was headed based on her signal , Jayden had taken Antonio into their room so he could rest. The gold Ranger had taken quite a beaten at the hands of Serrator and was likely going to have to sit out the impeding battle. Before Jayden and the others left to help Mia track down Terry and Serrator, he wanted to make sure Antonio was comfortable and that he would be okay.

Jayden bandaged up the wound on Antonio's arm and helped him slowly lay back in bed.

"Serrator didn't say why he wanted Terry," Antonio said, "He just showed up and…"

"He wanted Terry because he's connected to us," Jayden explained, "This is why we keep family away. When Terry showed up I should have sent him packing. Whatever business he had with Mia…"

"Why didn't Serrator just kill me?" Antonio asked. "He could have if he wanted to… but he didn't."

"He's toying with us," Jayden said, "But I'm happy he is. Are you okay?"

"I'll be better when Terry's okay," Antonio sighed, "I should have done better. I should have protected him better."

"You did the best you could," Jayden leaned forward and kissed Antonio; "We'll get Terry home. You rest up."

"If you guys need help…"

"Rest up."

"Call me."

"Rest up," Jayden shook his head and sprinted to the common room. He looked to the other Rangers, "Serrator did go after Terry, but Antonio can't tell us why. My best guess is Serrator figured Antonio and Terry were friends and he's trying to use that against us."

"He's got no idea he's just pissed off Mia, then," Mike said and then turned to Kevin, "I saw her leaving the yard. What's up with the turn around? You would think it was one of us she was going after."

"Doesn't matter how she feels about Terry," Serena answered, "He's still her little brother. Mia's probably going to get her ass kicked if she's going after Serrator alone, but Serrator's probably going to get a good beating too."

"Besides," Kevin added, "Mia doesn't not like Terry. It's just a lot for her to get used to."

"In other words, we need to find her and fast," Emily said and turned off the map. The boys nodded and they all hurried out of the house.

-Samurai-

Mia was no earth Samurai, but there was something very suspicious and intriguing abound the mound of earth in the middle of the forest. She circled it a few times, her heart pounding in her chest, until she noticed a stone lying at the base. With all her strength she pulled the stone up and to her delight she found a hole. Thinking of nothing but her brother's safety, Mia jumped down the hole.

"Come out, come out wherever you are," she whispered softly when she landed. She knew she hit something. The hole led to an underground tunnel big enough for a Nighlok to travel. Either Serrator had underestimated her and he was hiding here, or he knew she would be smart enough to find him and he was waiting for her at the end. Just in case it was the latter, Mia pulled out her Samuraizer and morphed. "I should have taken the Black Box before I left."

When she said this, the Turtle Zord slipped out of her pocket and flew back out of the cave.

She didn't make a sound as she walked carefully down the tunnel. She listened very carefully for any sound, either from a human or Nighlok, that would indicate she was on the right path. Her Samuraizer going off suddenly startled her and she quickly grabbed it and silenced it by shutting it off, forgetting the others wouldn't be able to track her.

"Screw the Black Box," she whispered as she continued down the tunnel, which got darker and darker with every step, "Where's the lantern Zord when you need it?"

She placed her hand on the wall of the tunnel so she wouldn't get lost and continued through the darkness until she saw a light far enough ahead. She sprinted towards it, stopping suddenly when she saw the light marked the end of the tunnel. Had she taken a step further she would have stepped right off the edge and fallen deeper into the cave Serrator had built. She let out a sigh of relief, pressed her hand against the wall once more and looked down into the cave. Serrator was indeed hiding out underground. Terry was with him, with his hands tied behind his back. He was too scared to move or try to escape. Serrator just paced, laughing to himself about how the Rangers would be driven mad as they searched endlessly above ground for their missing friend. Hearing this made Mia smirk; Serrator had no clue she had figured him out.

"No one messes with my brother," Mia whispered and drew her Spin Sword and jumped down. The moment her feet touched the ground she challenged Serrator. He wasn't as tough as she expected, but she had taken him by surprise. As soon as he got into the rhythm he knocked her to the ground and chuckled.

"It seems you've found me, but you've also come alone. Big mistake, pink Ranger."

"The mistake was going after my family," Mia growled as she got to her feet. She picked up her Spin Sword. Terry watched her with wide eyes. He was delighted and amazed, but still very terrified. The Nighlok, who had introduced himself as the mighty Serrator, attacked her as soon as she was up and knocked her back into the cave walls. Terry could tell his sister was hurt as she stumbled up to her feet. He had never seen Mia in action before, but he could only assume she was good. If Serrator was having his way with her, he must have been even better.

"Mia, look out!" Terry screamed as Serrator swiped his claws across her chest. He knocked her back to the ground and put his foot on her stomach. He held his sword over her neck.

"Just like when we first met," he laughed. As he was about to slice her head off her shoulders something struck him in the back of his head. It continued beating into his head and upper body, he moved away from Mia. The pink Ranger smirked behind her helmet as she watched her Turtle Zord distract Serrator. As the turtle did that, Mia picked up the Black Box that had been dropped by her head. She attached it to her Spin Sword and instantly powered up.

"Turtle disk," she placed her disk in the Black Box, "Super Spin Sword!"

She spun the disk on her Spin Sword. Terry had to look away as the light from the Super Pink Samurai Ranger blinded him.

"Super Air Wave!" Mia called out and Terry peeked slightly, just in time to see Mia really pound into Serrator, "Super Samurai Slash!"

Terry couldn't keep up as Mia slashed and sliced at Serrator. It was like she was moving at lightning speed and Serrator couldn't keep up or even make an attempt to defend himself. The assault only stopped when Serrator was shot back into the wall of the cave and then fell on his knees, groaning in pain.

"That hurt!" he cried out.

"Good!" Mia shouted and she ran over to her brother. With her sword she sliced the ropes around his wrists, setting him free. She stood before him protectively, unsure of what Serrator would try next.

"Two Rangers down is more than enough for now, I suppose," Serrator smirked and held out his hand. His claws stretched out, slashing at Mia once more before hitting the walls of the cave, tearing them down. Dust, then dirt, then entire pieces of the wall and ceiling started to come down, "You were… interesting, pink Ranger, but it's time for me to leave."

A Gap opened up in a crack in the wall and Serrator stepped through. He escaped just as the cave started to come down.

-Samurai-

"Mia!" Kevin screamed into the forest, hoping to hear back from his fiancée as he and the others continued to search through the forest. They had lost Mia's signal and had seen no sign of Serrator anywhere but they weren't going to give up yet.

Suddenly, Kevin was tackled and knocked right into the ground. He wasn't sure if he had hit his head, or if there was an earthquake because as he tried to recompose himself he thought he felt the ground tremble. When he sat up and pushed Emily off from on top of him, he noticed a pit where he had previously been standing. It wasn't too deep, but the earth had caved in on itself, and if he had gotten caught in that he would have been in trouble. He looked to Emily, "Thanks."

Mike and Jayden were on the other side of the pit, standing right at the very edge and looking relieved no one had fallen. The boys turned to their earth Samurai who shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know."

"You don't think…" Kevin trailed off as he looked down at the pit. Their Samuraizers went off at that moment. Emily picked up.

"Serena?"

"Mia's signal dropped somewhere near where you guys are standing now," Serena said. "I have no idea how far she's gotten but…"

"I don't think it's very far," Mike finished for her and he too stared down at the pit. He gulped, "I guess the best we can hope for is that Serrator was down there too."

"Serena, I'm going to need a lot of help," Emily said.

"On my way."

Kevin sunk to his knees and looked down at the pit, praying that this was just a coincidence and that Mia was somewhere else entirely. Emily put her hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off aggressively. "Start digging!"

"Dude!"

Emily held up a hand, silencing Mike. She then traced a symbol power, moving as much dirt from the pit as she could carry at once. Kevin continued to stare intensely at the pit, waiting for results.

"Pace yourself, Emily," Jayden told her, "We don't know how far down it goes."

Kevin flipped open his Samuraizer. There was still no sign of Mia.


	82. The Cave In Part I

Kevin kept one eye on the pit and the other on his Samuraizer, hoping for any sign of life from Mia. Serena had joined them as soon as she could and started to help Emily clear out the rocks and dirt, and the two had been at it for a while, but they hadn't uncovered anything. Mike was doing all he could to help out as well. With his symbol power, he used the roots from the nearby trees and plants to create nets under the layer of ground Serena and Emily were working on. The roots would keep the earth from falling in on itself while the girls shifted everything around.

Kevin was starting to get really impatient. He tapped his foot and crossed his arms over his chest. "C'mon…"

Jayden could understand how this was affecting Kevin, but his impatience, actually his attitude in general, wasn't helping anyone at all.

"They're working as hard as they can," he said, "but we need to do this safely. There's no point rushing if we're just going to crush them in another cave in."

"They could already be dead!" Kevin shouted. He looked to the digging Samurai and saw they were taking a break. His temper flared but Jayden grabbed him by the arm before he could do anything.

"They're using a lot of symbol power. They need a break."

"They…"

"If they don't rest now they're going to collapse!" Jayden shouted, "Then you'll have no one who can rescue Mia. I know you're worried, we all are, but you need to calm down!"

Kevin mumbled words Jayden would never repeat. He kicked the ground and took a seat by a tree. His heart was beating loudly in his chest and he knew there was no way Mia could have survived.

-Samurai-

"Mia…" Terry called up to his sister. His body was trembling in panic, but he wasn't shaking anywhere near as much as Mia. When the cave they were in had started to collapse on itself, Mia had done the only thing she could think of doing. She used her symbol power to encase herself and Terry in a pocket of air so thick and strong that the rocks and dirt fell around them, trapping them in a tiny cave but keeping them alive. Terry could see that the rocks were no longer about to shift and they had fallen in place and were no longer a danger, but Mia was so focused on her symbol power she had no idea. Suddenly, Terry saw the shield of symbols disappear as Mia collapsed. He caught her in his arms and laid her down. There was just enough room for the two of them to be comfortable, but there was no escape.

After about a minute, Mia opened her eyes and looked up to see her brother. She smiled, "Are you okay?"

"For now," he nodded, "What about you?"

"Very, very tired," Mia said. She tried to sit up but everything started to spin around her. Terry held her gently to steady her and pulled her into his arms.

"I don't think you can do anything now," he told her. He sighed loudly, "I guess I really understand why dad didn't want to bother you with me. I'm really sorry, Mia."

Mia looked to him curiously, "This isn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have even come here in the first place," Terry shook his head. "All I did was bother you."

Mia shook her head. Despite her dizziness she sat up and looked to her brother. She took his hand.

"You're not the problem," she assured him. "I'm sorry I kicked you out. It's just a lot for me to hear at once. I got overwhelmed. The truth is I've always wanted a little brother. That's why Mike and I are friends, anyways."

"You've always wanted a little brother? I've always wanted an older sister."

"I can't promise we'll be good friends," Mia smiled. "I'm not mad at you, I swear I'm not, but you're kind of the symbol of my childhood gone wrong. I'll get over that, but it'll take some time."

"I didn't have a happy family either," Terry said. "Mom and dad are great now; they're getting married even…"

"Wait, dad moved across the country to be with…"

"My mom," Terry nodded, "Sorry."

"Hey, one of us should get the happy ending," Mia shrugged. She was a little jealous, but she reminded herself this wasn't Terry's fault. He had every right to be happy and to want his parents to get together, just like she wanted her parents back together.

"I'm finally getting the normal family. My entire life until now has been me going back and forth between both my parents. And with dad so concerned with you, my visits with him had to work with his visits to you. For some reason, you always came first. Don't get me wrong, dad was great when I had him, but it wasn't ideal."

"I've been told no family's perfect," Mia chuckled and then looked around at their little cave, "When we get out of here, what do you say we start at zero? Friends?"

"I'd like that," Terry smiled, "But I don't think we're getting out of here. We're so deep, and Serrator seems pretty sure the Rangers would never figure out we were underground. How are your friends going to get to us in time?"

"I just know," Mia said.

"But what if we run out of air?" Terry asked, "Or the rocks cave in again, or, even if your friends do find us, what if they make a mistake while digging us out?"

"They'll find us," Mia promised, "We're going to be okay. You have to trust me."

Terry nodded his head but Mia could see he was still scared. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close.

"Nothing's going to happen to you," she promised, "Your big sister's a Power Ranger, remember? We're going to get out."


	83. The Cave In Part II

After what felt like an eternity, Kevin saw Mia's rescue team was slowly starting to fall over. Emily was first to fall. Serena was on her knees, taking long pauses between symbols as she caught her breath and Mike looked like he was ready to fall over.

When Serena's head suddenly hit the ground, Kevin knew it was time to call it. If Mia and Terry even had been underground, the odds that they survived the cave in and were still alive now were slim to none and even though he wanted to sacrifice the entire team for that chance to rescue Mia, he knew it wasn't smart.

He stood up and pushed back the tears in his eyes, "It's over…"

"Kevin," Jayden whispered, "They could still be…"

"Antonio's laid up," Kevin shook his head, "The girls are out of it. Mike's going to crash at any minute. We've dug so far down already… odds are…"

"There are still odds," Mike said between breaths, "I can keep digging, I know I can. If there's a chance, you have to take it."

"This isn't easy for me, Mike," Kevin growled. "We're better off just…"

"Kevin…"

"Shut up," Kevin shook his head and turned his back, "Just give me a minute."

"Kevin…"

"Shut up!"

"Dude!" a vine grabbed Kevin and spun him around, while another held out the turtle Zord. At first Kevin didn't know what to make of it, but then it hit him and it hit him hard. Before he knew what he was doing, he jumped into the deep pit. Just as he was about to land, and possibly cause another cave in, Mike's vines grabbed him again and set him down gently. Kevin found the hole where the turtle Zord had escaped and he continued digging with his hands until he found a pocket in the earth.

"Help!" he called up to the other two boys. They weren't about to jump into the pit, but Mike did use his vines to reach in and they pulled out Terry first. He was barely awake, but he was alive. Kevin reached into the hole himself this time, and with a little help from a second vine from Mike, he pulled Mia out. She was in a similar state to Terry's, but she was alive, that was all the reassurance Kevin needed.

-Samurai-

"If you want to be a Samurai, kid, you've got to learn to bounce back," Mia heard a voice that sounded a lot like Antonio's as she slowly came to and she found herself back in her bedroom. She looked around and saw Antonio and Terry were sitting on chairs beside her bed, each with a guitar in their laps. She watched for a moment.

"Being a Samurai sounds tough," Terry said.

"Bouncing back is much better than wallowing in pain and misery," Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "C'mon, the gig is tomorrow and we have a lot of practicing to do before that."

"I thought Jayden told you to rest your arm," Terry chuckled. "Serrator beat you up pretty badly."

"I'll be fine," Antonio shrugged, "Jayden worries too much sometimes."

"So you're going to play in front of all those kids with a black eye and bruises and scars?"

"Your sister is a wiz with make-up," Antonio smirked. "No one ever notices our battle scars."

Mia finally sat up in bed, announcing to the two boys that she was finally awake. Antonio gave her a smile but then had to react quickly as Terry dropped his guitar and jumped into his sister's arms.

"You're okay!"

"I told you we'd be fine," Mia smiled and hugged him.

"Add cave in to the list of things that tried to kill you," Antonio chuckled. He set Terry's guitar down on the bed and massaged his arm. The fast motion had hurt him a bit, but nothing was going to stop him from living his dream of performing with a band, even if Jayden said he was still too weak to get up and go.

"There's a list?" Terry asked.

"I'll tell you all about it later," Mia smiled and ruffled his hair, "Where are the others?"

"Jayden was fussing over me," Antonio smirked, "So I sent him to the store to pick up some imaginary ice cream."

"Imaginary?" Mia frowned.

"It doesn't exist," Antonio nodded, "but I got him to think it did. He'll be out of my hair long enough for Terry and me to practice for tomorrow."

"And Mike, Emily, and Serena apparently used so much symbol power they can sleep for weeks," Terry said, "Whatever that means."

"And Kevin?"

"Your fiancé has been checking up on you every five minutes," Terry smirked and Mia's jaw drop. She wasn't surprised he had picked up on something between her and Kevin, but he was on the nose and she had never told him.

"How did you…"

"You obviously didn't tell me, so I found out," Terry smirked and winked at Antonio. "You know, Mia, I may be the younger one, but I don't know if I approve of Kevin."

"Shut it, squirt."

"I'm taller than you…"

"Shut up. And if you do anything to ruin my wedding, I'll tell dad you came to the Shiba House and got us both trapped in a cave in."

"He'll freak out!" Terry's eyes widened, "Mia, please, don't…"

Mia pulled out her cell phone from her night stand drawer, "I have him on speed dial."

"I'll be back on a plane before I can play the gig," Terry reached for the cell phone, "Give it!"

Without pressing any buttons, Mia put the phone to her ear, "Dad? You'll never guess who I met today."

"You're bluffing," Terry said as he continued to reach for the phone.

"Terry, yeah!" Mia said as though she was having a real conversation with her father, "And you'll never guess where we met. No, not the Shiba House. What's the worst thing you can think of? Both your children trapped deep underground with no hope of escaping? Wow, dad, you're so smart."

"Mia, that's not funny!" Terry jumped on top of her, kicking his legs out for the jump. His foot almost hit Antonio in the face. The gold Ranger was fast enough to move back in time.

"Whoa, hey, okay, sibling moment and I'm obviously not invited."

He picked up Terry's guitar from the bed and set it against the wall and then got up with his guitar. He pointed over his shoulder, "I'm just going to go practice for tomorrow, by myself, I guess…" Mia and Terry didn't listen as they wrestled for the phone. Antonio shrugged, "Not that you guys are listening…"


	84. The Concert

After a day of rest and recovering, it was finally time for the concert at the hospital. Terry and Antonio were the most excited of the bunch and had been out all day with Terry's band practicing for the concert. Jayden had gone with them. After the beating Antonio took at the hands of Serrator, Jayden was worried the gold Ranger was pushing it and that he would have to skip out on the concert. Antonio, of course, insisted he was fine, but invited Jayden along anyways to get him out of the house.

Mia had also gone with the band. Terry had asked her to sing and now that she was on better terms with him she had decided to consider it. She had gone with the band just in case, and to spend some time with her brother before he left.

After almost losing Mia in a cave in, Kevin never wanted to leave her side, but he had been forced to back off to give Mia the time she needed with her brother before he had to leave. The two new siblings had a lot of catching up and a lot of bonding to do, and Kevin would have felt like a jackass if he got in the way. He would have Mia to himself again after the gig so he could spare a few hours.

At the hospital, the band got a room to themselves for a final warm-up before they were brought out to all the patients. Terry's band tuned their instruments and Jayden helped Antonio with his vocal warm-up, while giving the gold Ranger a pep-talk, and a talk about not over exerting himself. Antonio continued to joke, saying he was in a hospital and this was the place to make his injuries worse.

Terry set his guitar back in the case. It was tuned and ready to go, and Terry felt there was nothing more to do before the performance.

"You know," he looked over to Mia, "if you were to sing it would be really cool."

"You're not even sure I'm a talented singer," Mia smirked, "Dad also told me, mom, and grandma we were good cooks. I know for a fact that was a either a lie, or he's got no clue what he's talking about."

"You're a bad cook?" Terry frowned. Mia slapped his arm gently.

"Only as far as dad's concerned. I've improved a lot. Now when I say I'll cook dinner, the others get excited."

"Did Antonio teach you?" Terry asked. While Mia had been asleep, recovering from her time in the cave and all the symbol power she had used, Terry had gotten a lot of time to talk with Antonio. "I know he's the fish guy and usually cooks."

"Kevin, actually," a smile appeared on Mia's face at the thought of her fiancé. Terry smiled brightly as well. Kevin had visited Mia a number of times while she had been asleep, and Terry had seen how the blue Ranger treated his sister. While Terry was in no position to judge, the fact that he had a relationship with Mia now made it a little harder to ignore the need to be on the lookout for bad guys when it came to her relationships.

"Well, I don't think I need to tell you this," Terry started, "And I doubt my opinion means a lot, but I think he's a good guy."

"Really?"

Terry nodded, "Well, you can't go wrong when you're dating a Samurai. Honour, right? But he's a good guy. I approve."

"Aw," Mia smiled and pulled Terry into a hug, "I'm glad to hear that, Terry. It means a lot."

"Really?"

"Really," Mia nodded, "Whether we like it or not, we're family. Family's important to me. From here on out, our opinions matter to each other."

"You're a really cool older sister," Terry said with a big grin as he reached into his bag and pulled out a microphone. He held it out to Mia, "A really cool singing older sister. What do you say? This song is the one thing we know we have in common. I, for one, would love to share it with you."

Mia let out a heavy sigh, "Ah, what the hell. Worst case scenario I suck and the people out there get a good laugh."

-Samurai-

"James will be picking us up in a few minutes," Serena called to the rest of the Shiba House as they got ready for the hospital concert. They were going to support their friends and had decided to make a day out of it. The concert at the hospital in the afternoon, and then the big group of Samurai and friends were going to go out to dinner to celebrate the performance, Mia's new little brother, and a goodbye to Terry. James was tagging along as Serena's date while Mentor Ji had to stay behind to babysit Terran, but Serena could see Grandpa Ji was excited to have the little boy to himself for the day. "C'mon, c'mon!" Serena shouted through the house, "Get your butts in gear."

"Boo," Mike jumped out from behind her and startled her. Serena jumped a foot in the air before punching Mike in the chest.

"Don't do that!"

Mike laughed, "Never gets old," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box, "I know you gave me your permission a while back, but I want it official."

Serena took the box from Mike's hand and opened it. She gasped loudly, "Today?"

"At some point, yeah," Mike smiled. "I've been thinking about doing it again for a while now and it just seems like the right time. Everything's good with us, who knows when we'll get that chance again."

Mike took the box back and held it up to Serena, "So, what do you say? Do I have your permission to ask Emily to marry me?"

"Depends," Serena crossed her arms over her chest, "Your anger…"

"Still very present, but under control, I swear. What happened will never happen again."

"Despite all the growing up she's done, she's still my baby sister. She's still just as innocent and vulnerable as Terran in my eyes. If I give you my permission I am trusting you with everything precious in my life, and in her life. Her life's already been hell and I know she's not done yet."

"I won't make it worse for her, Serena, I swear on everything I believe in…"

"You'll make it better for her. You'll hold her hand through everything. You won't be the cause of her tears, but you'll kick the ass of whoever is. You will give up everything for her; you will do anything for her."

"I will," Mike nodded, "You don't have to tell me, Serena. I know. I know and I will. You can count on it."

Serena smiled and closed Mike's hands around the box, "Good," she leaned in and kissed his cheek, "Of course you have my permission. You have my blessing, Mike. Welcome back."

"Not a word of this to her," Mike whispered just as Emily and Kevin came out of their rooms, ready for when James picked them up.

"Why would I tell?" Serena smirked. Outside a car honked its horn. Serena grumbled, "He's just doing that to piss me off."

Serena opened the door and was the first out of the house. She glared at James as he sat inside his car, chuckling to himself, "You have feet, you idiot! Walk to the front door and ring the bell."

"Too far," James laughed and shook his head, "Besides, you're kind of cute when you're wound up."

"Then she's about to get adorable," Emily giggled and raced out from behind Serena, "Shotgun!"

"What?"

"James drives a car," Emily quickly got into the passenger seat, "As smallest I know I'll automatically be forced to sit on the hump. So, I called shotgun, fair and square."

"But…"

"Fair and square," Kevin chuckled as he gave Serena a pat on the back, "And now, seeing as you're smaller than both Mike and I…"

"You get the hump," Mike smirked.

Serena grumbled as she slid into the back seat of her boyfriend's car, "I hate each and every one of you so much it hurts."

-Samurai-

To Serena, walking the halls of the hospital had always been terrible. She didn't have a single good memory in the hospital with the exception of the day Emily was born almost eighteen years before. So to be in the building when no one was sick, injured, or dying was an odd feeling. Serena kept looking around at her friends, expecting one of them to keel over, and from time to time, as they walked the halls, she wondered where Mia, Jayden, and Antonio were, only to remind herself they were the stars of the performance.

"I can break something if you want," Emily teased her. She was the only one who could tell Serena was on edge because she was as well. Hospitals freaked both girls out.

"That's okay, squirt," Serena laughed, "The feeling of relief is worth the panic."

"Hey, I hear music," Kevin said as he pulled out the paper Terry had left him with all the information on where the concert would be, "They must have started without us."

"Here," Serena turned the corner and the Rangers looked through a big glass window. Terry's band, the Rebel Rockers, were performing in the rec room, where patients, friends, and family could all enjoy their time while taking their minds off the illnesses and injuries of their loved one. Serena remembered seeing clowns, magicians, comedians, and bands just like Terry's and sometimes famous bands, coming to perform. Despite the hospital setting, it was the only time in the hospital where Serena felt like there was nothing wrong.

The Rebel Rockers were doing that and more for the patients as they performed. Terry's band knew exactly what they were doing and hit every note perfectly, while still having a good time. Of course, Antonio was so full of energy he got the patients all excited and having a good time as well.

"Mia's singing," Emily smiled and looked up at Kevin as she pointed to the only girl in the band. A huge smile appeared on Kevin's face as he watched Mia having the best time he had seen her have in a long time. She was having fun with her brother, and she was interacting with the younger patients. Mia had always loved kids and before coming to the Shiba House she had worked in a day care. Kevin knew she was amazing with them, he could see it whenever she was with Terran, and these sick kids were no exception. They were smiling, laughing, and those who could were jumping around with her.

"Are you crying?" he heard Mike ask and he instantly wiped away his tear and shook his head, only to realize Mike wasn't talking to him, but to Serena.

Serena instantly responded by punching Mike in the arm, "Shut up. This is my memory lane."

"Bad ones?" James asked and he wrapped his arm around her. Serena shook her head and glanced quickly at Emily.

"Actually, no."

"C'mon," Emily grabbed Mike by the arm and started to pull him into the room, "How much fun can we have out here? Let's go in!"

"You heard the girl," James chuckled as he ushered the others into the room, "They look like they are having fun."

-Samurai-

The concert had been a huge success. At the end, while the band had been packing up, patients, parents, nurses, doctors, nearly everyone who had been at the concert, had come up to congratulate the band and thank them for a good time, saying it was one of the best performances they had had in a long time.

Now, after all the excitement had wound down, the Rangers who weren't in the band were waiting in the parking. Terry's band was the first out of the hospital and they loaded their stuff into their car. They were going to celebrate their gig on their own, while the Samurai Rangers and Terry went out to dinner. Mike fist bumped each of them as they walked out.

"Dudes, you all rocked!" he congratulated them.

Jayden and Antonio were next to walk out. Emily threw herself in Antonio's arms and hugged him tightly.

"You were amazing!" she praised him. Antonio set her back on the ground and smiled.

"Thanks, that was so much fun," he was bouncing slightly, still very excited from the concert, "A big dream come true. It was exactly like I pictured it."

"You were awesome," Mike smiled and Kevin, Serena, and James nodded in agreement.

"Thanks, but you know, there is one thing," Antonio said with a smirk. He leaned in, as though he was about to tell the Rangers a secret, "It was incredible but… it can't beat fishing."

Eye rolls and gentle punches were the responses from the others.

"Watch his arm," Jayden said, warning the others to stay away from his injured arm, "Antonio, are you sure it's…"

"Fine," Antonio nodded and he gave Jayden a kiss. "It's not the first time I've been beaten up. I'll live."

Inside the hospital, Mia was giving Terry a big hug. She wanted to talk to him before they joined the others for dinner. While it was an evening for the two of them, this was the last opportunity they were going to have to really bond as brother and sister, and Mia wanted to let Terry know just how proud she was of him. It was a bit of a weird feeling to be proud of someone she had just met, but she couldn't help it.

"You were great," she said to him as she finally let him go, "Honestly, I can't believe I'm going to say this, but if you dream of being a rock star, you can definitely make it."

"Thanks," Terry smiled and blushed, "but you and Antonio really made the gig special. Antonio put all the excitement in the crowd and you were amazing with those kids."

"That's my talent," Mia chuckled, "I've always been good with kids."

"Being a rock star would be awesome," Terry said, "but this is just a hobby of mine. After high school I want to get into med school. I want to be a doctor."

"You do?"

"A doctor who really rocks," Terry smiled.

"You do well in school, then," Mia told him, "You'll need good grades."

"I know, I know," Terry rolled his eyes; "You sound like my mom."

"Speaking of moms," Mia pulled out a piece of paper from her pocket, "You're staying in town for a little while, right?"

"Yeah, the band has a few more gigs on the other side of town," Terry nodded.

"Who are you staying with?"

"Our manager. And before you say anything, I'm keeping up with school. We brought my homework with me so that when I go back, I won't have missed anything."

"Good," Mia smiled, "But your manager's not going to be able to protect you from Serrator and all the other Nighlok. This is my grandmother's address."

"Okay…"

"I emailed her last night…"

"Your grandmother has email?"

"Hello, her granddaughter's a Power Ranger. She can't wait for the news to come on, on TV so she checks what's up with the Samurai online. She's hopeless and I'm sure mom's there every day helping her out, but yes, she has email. And she emailed me back telling me you and the band are more than welcome to stay with her and my mom while you're in town. There's more than enough room for all of you, and I know you'll be safe."

"Won't that be awkward?" Terry asked, "You know, with me being…"

"Mom and dad get along great," Mia reminded Terry, "It won't be awkward. They know."

"Yeah."

"I was the only one who didn't."

"You know now," Terry smiled. Mia ruffled his hair.

"C'mon, squirt…"

"I am taller than you, you know."

"Let's go eat dinner."


	85. Falling In Love

As Mia laughed along with the group she looked around the table. The smiles, the jokes, the stories and memories from childhood; this was what she wanted. This was the normal life she dreamed of, with her friends and family around the dinner table having a good time.

"Then dad pulls out what I thought was lasagna from the fridge and he told me Mia made it for him…"

"I was fourteen," Mia blushed and hid her face as Terry continued to tell the story. While they hadn't grown up together, the fact that they shared a father meant they did have some memories in common. Terry apparently already knew Mia was a horrible cook before he met her and he had some stories to tell. "If you were six then I was only fourteen and I didn't know any better."

"Let me guess," Mike chuckled, "It looked like lasagna, smelt like burned tomatoes and tastes like it had been rotting in the hot summer sun for days."

"Dad made me eat every bite," Terry nodded, "He was scared that if we threw it out, the racoons would try to get it and we would have a bunch of dead animals on our curb, and a lot of questions from the neighbours."

"Sounds like Mia, alright," Mike smirked. Though this was his first chance to really talk to Terry and get to know him, the two boys were bonding quickly. Already they had a sister in common. Though Mike wasn't related to Mia by blood, she had basically taken on the older sister role for him from day one, and he loved to act like her little brother. Under the table he had already slipped a list to Terry of tried and proven ways to annoy Mia once she went home and both boys had plotted to one day prank her together.

"Can someone sit between them, please?" Mia could see the looks in their eyes and was getting suspicious they were plotting against her. No one got up to move; they were comfortable where they were, but Terry's phone did suddenly ring. Excusing himself, he answered the phone at the table while the others continued their conversations.

When his phone call ended his face fell. He sighed and reached into his pocket.

"I wish I could stay, guys," he said, "but that was my band. They're headed to your grandmother's place, Mia, and think it would be awkward arriving without me."

As Terry was about to set some money down on the table, Kevin shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, kid," he smiled, "Between us, we've got it covered," he shook Terry's hand, "You stay safe."

"I will," Terry promised and he said his goodbyes to the rest of the table. Mia got up to walk him out of the restaurant. She stepped outside with him and pulled him into a hug.

"It was great meeting you, Terry."

"Yeah," Terry nodded, "I'm glad it all worked out, but I would have understood if it hadn't. So will I see you soon?"

Mia shook her head, "Unfortunately, this is a one and only. You're already in danger because Serrator knows who you are, and I'm guessing he's figured out how much you mean to me, and the team by association. We can't keep in contact anymore. The less you know, the better."

"But James isn't a Ranger. You made an exception for him?"

"James knows the risks," Mia sighed, "and he's an adult. He makes his own decisions."

"I can make my own decisions."

Mia ruffled his hair, "You have my Samuraizer's number if ever there's an emergency. We've gone fourteen years without each other, we can survive a little longer."

"Then you stay safe," Terry warned her as he pulled her into another hug, "Please don't do anything stupid or dangerous. I don't want this to be the first and last time I see you."

Mia smiled and nodded her head, "I'll be coming home, Terry. And when I do the Nighlok will be gone for good."

"Good."

A car pulled up in front of the restaurant and Terry waved as his band-mates rolled down the window and told him to get inside. Mia let go of her brother and gave him a kiss on the cheek as he left.

"You boys behave for my family!" Mia called to the band, "Good luck with your next gigs."

"Thanks, Mia," Terry smiled as he climbed into the backseat. Once he was settled the car pulled away. Mia felt her heart sink just a little bit. She had had her problems with Terry but she had come to love him as a brother. She just hoped she would be able to go home soon.

"Aw," she heard from behind her and turned around to find Mike and Emily walking out of the restaurant, "Don't worry about him. He'll be fine with your family."

"He's my brother," Mia smiled, "I'm going to worry."

"You still have us," Mike said with a playful smirk, "We'll annoy the hell out of you and make you thankful Terry's not around to add to the chaos."

"Mike will annoy you," Emily giggled, "I'll just make you wonder why you bother with me."

"Did you guys come out here just to tell me you're not changing?" Mia laughed. Mike shook his head.

"The park's just across the street. The others are deciding on desert and Serena's ordered an apple pie that'll take twenty minutes before it can be served. We thought we would go on a walk."

"Samuraizers…"

"Are on," Emily and Mike laughed and rolled their eyes.

"Don't worry, Mia, we won't go far," Emily promised. Mia nodded her head and headed back into the restaurant, hungry for desert. Mike pulled Emily across the street and into the park. They walked hand in hand until they reached the river, where Emily decided to sit at the edge. She tapped on the grass, inviting Mike to join. Mike did join and he took a seat behind Emily. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her close.

"Tell me about the day you realized you loved me," he put his head on her shoulder and smirked. Emily laughed.

"I don't have a day," Emily said, "It was more of a… progressive thing. But I knew almost from the moment we met that you were special."

"Almost?"

"I had a lot on my mind when I first came here," Emily smiled. "Serena was sick, I was scared I would let her, and all of you guys down. Jayden didn't like me and kept telling me he was waiting for Serena, and you, Mia, and Kevin went through my stuff."

"Mia and Kevin went through your stuff," Mike said, "I just confirmed their suspicions."

"You betrayed my trust," Emily nodded, "Really, considering that's my first impression of you, you're lucky I love you at all."

"I know," Mike smiled, "but there has to be a day where you realized what you were feeling. Tell me about it."

"Okay, well I had a crush on you pretty much from the start," Emily said as she leaned back into Mike, "You were just so fun and carefree and… interesting. Like I said, falling in love with you was a progressive thing, but if I think back to it… Do you remember when you ran away from the Shiba House because of something Kevin said, and I went after you?"

Mike nodded his head. He remembered that day clearly. Emily had followed him deep into the forest and when he found out he had yelled at her, screaming she should go home. Hurt, she had run off in the wrong direction, tripped, and fell down a ravine. Mike needed the other Rangers' help to get her out, and Emily had been unconscious for a while after that.

"I remember."

Emily smiled, "Well, I remember waking up and you were lying with me. I don't know how long you were there, but your spot on the bed was warm when you sat up, so I figured you had been there for a while. Then you didn't leave my side. You let me teach you a song on the flute, you stayed with me when I fell asleep again, you were there when I woke up, and when the others tried to kick you out, you refused to leave because you knew I wanted you. Looking back, I think that's it. I wanted you because I loved you. I knew, no matter what, I was and always would be safe with you. I didn't know it back then, but that's the moment it happened."

Mike grinned happily as Emily turned around and kissed him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, "I've never stopped loving you. Everything that's happened, everything we've been through, I've always loved you."

"Same here," Mike nodded and he reached into his pocket and pulled out the box with the ring, but before he brought it to her attention he looked her in the eyes, "Do you remember the last time I proposed to you… after out little…"

"Yeah," Emily quickly answered so he wouldn't have to say it. She knew exactly what he was talking about, but couldn't imagine why he was bringing it up.

"You remember, for a little while after that, things were a little… different between us. We didn't quite know what we were."

"Yeah."

"Then, do you remember when those seals stopped us from morphing. You, Kevin, and Mia used symbol power and it backfired, and while you were recovering in bed, I told you I didn't want to marry you until I was sure I would never do anything to hurt you again."

Mike opened the box and showed her the ring. Instantly the tears welled up in her eyes. Mike smiled brightly.

"You know I've been seeing Dr. Fletcher. You know I've been working really hard with my angry problems. I know I still have a long, long way to go, but I'm ready for this. I love you with all my heart. Will you marry me?"

Tears of joy choked her up, so Emily nodded her head. Mike slipped the ring back into place on her finger. The moment Emily felt the ring was back on her hand where it belonged, she broke down into tears. She buried her face in Mike's chest. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his head on top of hers. A few tears slipped down his cheeks.

They stayed in each other's arms until they heard footsteps behind them. The others had taken their deserts to go when Mike and Emily hadn't come back as promised.

"This is not what I meant when I told you two to get a room," Kevin chuckled and his voice broke Mike and Emily apart. The two youngest Rangers looked up.

"Sorry," Mike smiled. His few tears had already dried and were gone, barely visible with the fading light of the sun, but Emily had cried more than she had (he knew because of the wet spot on his shirt). It was a little harder for her to hide the fact that she had cried.

"Emy, you okay?" Mia asked, noticing the tears first. Emily nodded her head and smiled.

"I'm good," she held out her left hand, "Can you help me up?"

Mia nodded and reached out her hand until she saw the ring on Emily's finger. Instead of helping her little sister up, Mia attacked Emily with a hug, knocking her on her back.

"Let me see it," Mia said excitedly as she grabbed Emily's hand and looked at the ring. Emily laughed.

"Mia, it's the same ring as last…"

"Shh, this is exciting for me."

"Imagine how I feel," Emily smiled. Mia looked at her and pulled her into a hug again, "Congrats, Monster."

"Congratulations to you too," Jayden said to Mike as he helped the green Ranger up to his feet.

"Thanks, guys."


	86. Inadequate Efforts

"So many happy people," Serena muttered as she walked through the house. Everyone's spirits seemed to be lifted. Antonio had recovered from his encounter with Serrator and he and Jayden were closer than ever. Mia was in a much better mood now that she had had a day to be normal with the Samurai and her brother. Mike and Emily were taking some time to themselves and were in a very good mood (and Serena pretended she had no idea what they were doing behind closed doors, though she had a pretty good idea).

Even Ji was in a better mood than normal. As he made her breakfast before work, she caught him humming to himself. She sat at the kitchen table after dropping off Terran with Mia and Kevin, who insisted they would babysit for the day, and she gave Mentor a strange look.

"You know music?" she teased him. Ji set down a plate in front of her.

"I know more than you think."

"Of course you do," Serena looked down and saw Ji had made her her favourite: bacon and eggs. She chuckled when she saw he had shaped it in a smiley face, "Oh, Ji, you're not getting a little Samurai action on the side, if you know what I mean?"

Ji turned around and saw Serena wink. He was slightly disturbed by the comment for a moment, but then laughed it off.

"I never leave the house," he said, "Where would I get some action on the side?"

"Some of those training dummies are kind of hot," Serena teased him. "And, you know, I don't judge…"

"Eat your breakfast or you'll be late. And remember, you kiss your son with that mouth."

"I haven't said anything I wouldn't say in front of him," Serena said and took a bite from her eggs, "But that means nothing because he doesn't understand anything anyways."

Ji shook his head and got started on the dishes. Serena finished her breakfast and thanked Ji before she started to make her way to the door. As she did, the bell rang, stopping her in her tracks. The only time the bell rang was when the house expected visitors, and the only visitor they had was James. Serena knew he wasn't coming to pick her up this morning.

The Rangers emerged from the rooms they were relaxing in to peek at the door. Ji walked out from the kitchen and the Zords instinctively flew out of sight.

"Act normal," Ji told the Samurai as he opened the door. The Samurai all leaned in a little closer from their respective spots to get a better look at the elderly man standing on their doorstep.

"Who is that?" Antonio whispered to Jayden who shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know… but he looks like of familiar, don't you think?"

"Father?" Ji gasped before bowing. The Samurai all spilled out into the hallway.

"Father?" they asked.

"Mentor, that's your dad?" Serena asked. Ji nodded his head and invited his father into the house. As he was about to close the door, the elderly man held up a hand.

"Your brothers and sisters are unpacking the car."

"Unpacking?" Ji frowned, "But father, you know…"

"Oh, I know," Ji's father nodded his head. He walked to the common room, "Everyone, gather around."

Serena looked down at her watch. She still had her job at the school, but she couldn't risk being late. She thought she could slip out before she was noticed, and catch up on whatever madness was going on in the Shiba House, but the moment she turned her back she heard Ji's father clearing his throat.

"Where are you going, Earth?"

"Wow, he's good," Serena muttered to herself as she turned around and found herself face to face (more or less, Ji's father was about Emily's height) with the elderly man. "I have work…"

"Work?" Ji's father asked and then turned to Mentor, "but is she not…?"

"Emily is the yellow Ranger," Ji said and pointed to Emily, who waved nervously from behind Mike. Thirty seconds and Ji's father was already intimidating her.

"Then who is she?" Ji's father turned back to Serena.

"I am late for work," Serena said.

"She's my sister," Emily answered. Ji's father gave Serena a look before he shook his head.

"I will deal with this problem later," he said and before Serena could protest he was pointing to the door, "Leave now. Rangers, have a seat."

Ji's father watched as the Rangers and Ji walked to the common room and took a seat on their stools. He surveyed the room and the Rangers, counting one too many. He looked to Antonio.

"And you are?"

"Gold?" Antonio hesitated after seeing the exchange between the elderly man and Serena.

"A gold Samurai?"

"Antonio is our newest Samurai," Ji quickly explained. "He has returned the Octozord…"

"Which you lost," Ji's father glared at Ji. "If I'm not mistaken," Ji gulped.

"He, uh, repaired the Clawzord, programmed the Black Box, and his symbol works with the Light Zord."

Ji's father cast another glance at Antonio before he nodded his head, "Well, that changes things. But I guess you can stay."

Ji breathed a sigh of relief before his brothers and sisters walked into the room and took their place behind their father. While they had not taken the position as mentor to the Samurai Rangers, they had trained and were more than qualified to take over to Ji at any time, leading Ji to wonder why they were all here visiting unannounced when it was forbidden.

"I am Shin, and I will be taking over as mentor of the Shiba House."

"We already have a mentor," Mike muttered and was slapped on the back of the head by one of Ji's brothers as Shin gestured for his children to take their place behind the Rangers.

"I have been watching your battles against the Nighlok and I am horrified by what I have seen," Shin said, "From here on out, my sons, daughters and I will train you Samurai to be the warriors we expect."

Shin turned to Antonio, "_Gold_ Samurai, from now on, you will be trained by my son, Hikaru."

Antonio wasn't sure what to do. He turned around and looked at his new mentor, or partner… he wasn't sure what to call him.

"Earth Samurai," Shin looked to Emily, "My daughter Sakura will set you on the right path."

"The right…?"

"Shh," Sakura silenced Emily.

"Air Samurai," Shin turned to Mia, "My daughter Miku will provide you will all the training you need. Forest Samurai, you've met my son Itsuki. I hope you will treat him with respect."

"If he stops hitting me," Mike muttered under his breath. This time, and only this time, Itsuki let it slide.

Shin looked to Kevin, "Water Samurai, meet your new personal mentor, "Ryuu."

Kevin bowed his head as a sign of respect. He would not do like Mike and get on his new mentor's bad side.

Shin walked over to Jayden, "And that leaves me with you, Shiba."

"Father, if I may…" Ji spoke up but his father raised his hand, silencing him.

"The Samurai should be training. The Sanzu River is constantly rising. The Nighlok are growing stronger as we speak. These Samurai will be no good to us if they cannot keep up."

"We just woke up… OW!" Mike rubbed the back of his head and glared at Itsuki, "Seriously, dude, I was… OW!"

Emily grabbed Mike's arm and squeezed tightly, "Shut up before you really hurt yourself."

"Hurt my- OW!" Mike lowered his head and finally got the point. He shut up and followed the others into the dojo. Ji, Shin, and Jayden were the only ones to stay back. Shin was about to speak to his son when Terran started to cry. Jayden could see the look of horror and confusion on Shin's face.

"And that is?" Shin asked Ji.

"A child, father."

"Is this child a descendant of the Samurai?"

"Serena's son," Jayden nodded his head, "If Emily and the Ape choose, he could be the next generation's yellow."

"For now, he is a distraction," Shin stated. "Get him out of the house. Tell his mother to go with him."

"But…" Jayden started to protest but Ji put a hand on his shoulder. He bowed to his father.

"Yes, father."

"Good. Fire, come with me," Shin turned to the dojo and Jayden had no choice but to follow while Ji went to gather Terran and Serena's things. He knew there was no arguing with his father when the Samurai were concerned.

-Samurai-

When the students were in class, Serena didn't have much work to do. Occasionally she interrupted a few confrontations in the hallways and helped some teachers settle some disputes in class, but most days there was nothing for her to do. This void in her schedule left her with a lot of time to think, and her thoughts brought her to the gym. It was second period so Mitch's class was being coached by James. It wasn't usual for Serena to be somewhere near either Mitch or James, so Serena was sure no one would question why she was around. She would have some time to herself to think.

As Mitch ran laps, he noticed something a little off about Serena. Normally when she came in during his gym class, she was helping Coach Smith whip the students into shape. Today, she just seemed to sit on the bench with something on her mind. Since Mitch had found his place in school, he hadn't been hanging out with Serena much, but he still considered her a close friend. Unfortunately, he had laps to run.

"Coach," he stopped by James and took a sip of water, "Is something up with Serena?"

James hadn't even noticed Serena walking in. He told Mitch to keep running while he jogged to the other side of the gym. He took a seat next to Serena.

"I'm teaching the kids some gymnastics today. Think your Samurai training could help me with that?"

"What?" Serena snapped out of her thoughts and looked to James, "Sorry, I was preoccupied."

"You know, the best way to forget about what Emily and Mike got up to last night is to stop thinking about it."

Serena scrunched up her nose, "Thanks, James. I _had_ forgotten all about that. Now that's two things on my mind."

James chuckled, "Well, you can talk about the first with me."

"Ji's dad is at the Shiba House," Serena said. James gave her a strange look but she couldn't explain anymore. She shrugged her shoulders, "I have no idea what it means, but I get the feeling it's…"

"Coach Smith?" the secretary called for him from the gym doors and then she spotted Serena. She made her way over, "I knew I could find you here. You have a visitor."

"I do?"

The secretary nodded and gestured for Serena to follow her. Serena looked to James curiously before leaving the gym and walking with the secretary to the front of the school. She saw Mentor Ji was waiting and holding Terran in his car seat. Serena frowned. She had no problem with the Samurai taking Terran out for a walk in the park, but bringing him a disease ridden school was a big no-no.

"Your uncle Ji?" the secretary asked and Serena nodded her head so the secretary left. Ji set Terran's car seat on the bench and looked to Serena.

"I have some bad news."

"What kind of news?" Serena felt her stomach flip. She had her Samuraizer on her in case there was an attack, but it had been silenced so no one could hear it. It was very likely she had missed the warning of a Nighlok attack and the Rangers had gone into battle, which meant any of them could have been hurt or worse. Ji coming to the school personally was a terrible sign.

"My father feels the Samurai have fallen behind in their training. He has taken over for me."

"Ji, I'm so…"

"His first order of business," Ji quickly glanced down at Terran, "You and your son are no longer permitted at the Shiba House."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Serena…"

"What did the Rangers say?"

"My brothers and sisters will probably be telling them soon. They are the Rangers' personal mentors now."

"But the Shiba House is the home of the Samurai," Serena frowned, "I'm a Samurai. Terran's a Samurai. He can't…"

"He can," Ji nodded sadly, "Serena, if you need anything until we get this mess sorted, you know you can come to me. Money for rent or groceries…"

Serena clenched her fists, "When I get home…"

"Serena…"

"Tell your dad he better watch out," Serena growled. "Kicking me out is one thing. Kicking Terran out of his home…. Your father's got another thing coming."

-Samurai-

The Rangers had never been so tired and in so much pain after a training session before. The lessons had been intense, and far more demanding than anything Ji had made them do in the past, and the Rangers had the scars to prove it.

"Five minute rest," Shin announced to the tired Rangers, "Then you will go out for a job while I prepare you a proper meal."

Jayden used the wall to get up to his feet. He looked to Shin and the other mentors, "The Samurai are exhausted…"

"Had you been training properly, you would have been more in shape," Shin shook his head, "I'm disappointed in each and every one of you. You should have spent less time socializing and more time focusing on what's important."

"But Shin…"

"Sensei," Shin insisted. Jayden sighed.

"Sensei, if a Nighlok were to attack…"

"Until you Rangers have reached your expectations you will not be going into battle," Shin shook his head, "It is too dangerous."

"We will be fighting the Nighlok until you are suitable to take back your place," Ryuu announced.

Suddenly, the doors to the Shiba House burst open. Serena had been waiting all day to do this. She found Shin and towered over him.

"What the…" before Serena could even get started she found herself pinned against the wall. Shin, who had been unarmed only seconds before, pressed a training sword against her chest.

"You have given up your rights as a Samurai," he stated, "making you a liability. A weakness and a distraction to the Rangers. Your presence in this house put you, your son, and the Samurai in danger. Get out."

"But…"

All the Samurai could see after that was Shin whispering something in Serena's ear that caused a look of fear to appear on her face. As Shin released her, Serena quickly turned around. She didn't say another word, she didn't protest in any way. Just as quickly as she had stormed in, she had run out, her tail between her legs. The Rangers gulped. That was not the Serena they knew.

"Five minutes are up," Shin announced as he turned his attention back to the Samurai, "I don't care how far you run, I don't care how fast you run, but remember, every decision you make will be reflected in battle. It is up to you whether or not you choose to live or die."

Without a word, the Rangers got to their feet and started their run. Shin looked to his sons and daughters "Follow them. Make sure they don't stop running and they stay in line. Discipline, focus, and respect at all times."

Outside, Mike glanced over his shoulder and made sure he was far enough away from the house before he caught up to Jayden and whispered, "Dude, your grandfather is a tyrant."


	87. Shin Shakes Up The House

"Is everyone here?" Jayden asked and aimed the flashlight at each of the Rangers, careful not to shine the light directly in their eyes. After such an intense day of training under their new mentors, Jayden knew he was going to have to figure out something with his team. They were exhausted, ready to fall asleep right on the spot, and he wanted nothing more than to let them get a well-deserved rest, but they had to discuss what was going on.

When he shined the light on Emily she shook the head. The Rangers were hiding under a make-shift tent they had created in Jayden's room after lights out. They had to sneak out of their bedrooms, past their mentors for this meeting, but they had succeeded, despite the odds. Emily reached out, under the blankets that made up the walls, and pulled Scruffy into the fort. She hugged her dog warmly. Not even Scruffy had been able to escape the workouts. After Emily had begged and pleaded Shin let her keep her dog, but decided if the Samurai were going to have a pet, he would be a working pet. Scruffy had been put to Samurai training.

"Now are we all here?" Jayden asked and Emily nodded her head. He let out a heavy sigh, "I'll be honest with you guys, I have no idea what's going on."

"He thinks we're slacks," Kevin muttered and crossed his arms over his chest. The movement caused Mia, who was sleeping on his shoulder, to wake up. She glared at her fiancé and tried to sit up straight so she could pay attention.

"But we've been getting better and better," Mike said. "He says he's been watching our battles, but we're kicking Nighlok ass. Mia, I know you didn't defeat Serrator, but before the cave in you said you actually stood your ground."

"Sure," Mia nodded, half awake. Kevin chuckled and wrapped his arms around her.

"You're going to be crabby in the morning."

"Don't touch me," Mia shrugged him off. She was already crabby. She was no good when she was tired.

"One thing I wouldn't mind seeing is Scruffy in a Ranger suit," Antonio chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

Emily cuddled her dog, "Scruffy's still a puppy," she shook her head, "You can't send a puppy into battle!"

"Why does he think we're weak?" Mike asked. The question had been bugging him all day. In his eyes, the Samurai were getting stronger, but Shin was insisting they were pathetic, shameful, and disappointments to their ancestors.

"Shin's probably seen our mishaps," Jayden's sighed. "Antonio being afraid of fish and his own weapons; Emily being kidnapped by Frankie…"

"Kiss the dog," Emily growled and glared at Jayden. Jayden held up a hand.

"Sorry Em, but there's that, then Mia, Kevin, and Mike getting involved in a civilian kidnapping…"

"Civilian?" Mike frowned. "Emily's not a civilian…"

"As far as the city is concerned, she is," Jayden nodded. He looked to Mia, "Your brother turning up and getting in trouble… that may have been the straw that broke the camel's back. Mentor's been pretty generous with the rules. In the past, all family and friends would have been kicked out before they reached the front door."

"But we're getting the job done…"

"We're risky," Kevin sighed and nodded his head, "Maybe Shin's got a point. I'm not saying he's right, but we need to focus."

"Has Mentor said anything?" Antonio asked and turned to Jayden. Since Shin's arrival, Ji hadn't been able to speak much to the Rangers. Only Jayden had been allowed to interact with him. Jayden shook his head.

"He's just doing what his dad says."

"So what do we do?" Mike asked. "We can't just roll over and let this guy boss us around. He had his turn as mentor and he's done now. Retired. Mentor helped our parents and he's been doing a good job with us too."

"Do you want to stand up to him again?" Kevin said, "Or does your head still hurt from last time."

"Corporal punishment is not fun."

"Mia's asleep," Antonio whispered to Kevin and pointed to the pink Ranger. Kevin sighed and scooped Mia up in his arms.

"We should probably get some sleep. If tomorrow's anything like today…"

"Dudes, we're screwed," Mike sighed. "He's trying to kill us."

"Tomorrow's a new day. Maybe Shin will be more willing to listen to reason in the morning," Antonio said. He crawled out of the fort and started to take it down. "Good night, guys."

"Good night," the team whispered. Jayden and Antonio crawled into their own beds while Kevin, Mike, and Emily made their way back to their rooms. They were almost there when Sakura and Ryuu turned the corner, spotting them.

"What are you four doing out of bed?" Sakura asked with arms over her chest. Emily instantly hid herself behind Mike.

"Bathroom," the green Ranger quickly lied, "We're not used to that new diet food yet. We're going to bed now."

"Then go," Ryuu said. The Rangers were about to step into their rooms when they were stopped again. "Where do you think you're going?"

"To bed," Kevin frowned. Ryuu shook his head and gestured for Kevin to set Mia down. Kevin did as he was told, but woke Mia up first so she would stand on her own.

"Relationships are a distraction," Sakura explained. "Girls in one room, boys in another."

"But…"

"Need I remind you," Sakura glared at Mike, "Your love for the Earth Samurai nearly exposed her having a connection to your Rangers? Girls in one room, boys in another."

"C'mon, Mike," Kevin said and he pulled Mike into his and Mia's room, "It's just for the nights. You're asleep anyways."

The Rangers went into their separate rooms for the night. Kevin and Mike looked at the bed Kevin and Mia used to share, and then to each other.

"Do we have to?" Mike asked. "I'll sleep on the floor, if that's what it takes."

Kevin chuckled and shook his head, "If you're so opposed to sharing a bed," Kevin trailed off as he walked to the beds and pushed them apart. They had a bigger bed than everyone else in the house because it was actually both their beds pushed together. Mike and Emily, when they started sharing, didn't have that luxury because Emily's old bed went to Serena for her to sleep in, leaving them with only a double bed.

"Dude, that's lucky," Mike smiled and crawled into what was once Mia's bed.

"Why do you think I pulled you into this room?" Kevin asked. "No way was I sleeping in your smelly room, and sharing a bed with you and your fog horn snoring."

In the other room, Mia fell instantly into Mike and Emily's old bed, too tired to really care about the sleeping arrangements, but she knew she would have a few choice words for Kevin's and Emily's mentors when she woke up.

Emily waited for Sakura and Ryuu to be gone into their rooms before she slid the door open again and let Scruffy into the room. She cuddled her dog before letting him go to sleep in his own bed. She then looked over to Mia, who was already half asleep, "Mia?" she called.

"Just sleep, Emy," Mia muttered. "We'll figure something out in the morning."

"Why do you think Serena ran away? She's never run away before. What did Shin say to her?"

Mia sighed. She propped herself up on her elbows, "I don't know. We'll figure it out in the morning. Can we just sleep?"

"I'm too… I can't sleep," Emily whispered and hugged herself as she stood at the end of the bed. "I don't feel well."

"Come here," Mia said and pat the spot next to her on the bed. Emily crawled in and lay beside Mia. She pulled out Monkey the Ape from under her pillow and cuddled the soft toy to her chest. Mia gently stroked her hair, "If this does stick, we'll get used to it," she promised, "and we'll always have the nights to ourselves."

"Sakura doesn't pull any punches," Emily whispered.

"I know. Neither does Miku. They fight us like the Nighlok would, but I don't think they're trying to hurt us," Mia kissed Emily's forehead before lying down to sleep, "Just close your eyes, Emy. Everything's going to be fine."

-Samurai-

On the other side of town, James had two unexpected but not unwelcomed guests in his home. Serena had arrived just before dinner with Terran in his car seat and only one bag for the two of them. She had tears streaming down her cheeks when he took her in, and she hadn't said a word since. James had to take care of Terran himself; feeding Terran his bottle, giving him his bath, reading him a quick story and setting him to bed in the guest bedroom. Terran had gone out like a light.

Serena was a lot harder to crack.

"Just, nod if everyone back home is still alive," James said, worried something had happened to the Rangers that had shocked Serena.

Serena nodded, but barely. It was just enough of a movement for James to catch it.

"He knows about Terran," Serena whispered. James looked to her curiously.

"Who's he?"

"Shin."

"Shins?"

"Shin. Ji's father. He was my grandmother's mentor when she was a Ranger."

"He knows about Terran?"

"And he's not happy," Serena whispered and leaned into James. James wrapped his arms around her.

"Did he threaten Terran? Serena…"

"He said Terran could live," Serena gulped, "but eventually, someone was going to kill him. The Samurai, the Nighlok…"

"Serena…"

"It's true," Serena buried her face in James' shirt, "Terran doesn't belong anywhere. He'll never fit in with the humans and he can't live among the Nighlok. One day… what if I…?"

James grabbed Serena by the arms and pushed her away to look her right in the eyes, "Don't think like that for a moment. Terran will be fine. You're never going to have to…"

"Shin said I would be better off killing him now, before the Samurai and I get even more attached. What if he's…?"

"He's not right," James shook his head.

"I'm delaying the inevitable," Serena whispered. James sensed she was no longer talking to him. Just muttering to herself, "I'm torturing him."

"No, Serena…"

"He's tortured and… and then I'll have to kill him. I'm prolonging his suffering. I'm just as bad as…"

James pulled Serena back into his arms. He held her to his chest and hugged her tight.

"Lies, Serena. It's all lies."

Serena nestled in his arms but she couldn't believe his words. There was more. There was so much more.


	88. The Real Nighlok

Jayden played with his hands in his lap as he sat in a semicircle with the other Rangers. Shin stood before them, while the other mentors were behind their new students, keeping them in line.

Ji was on the other side of the room watching nervously while his father explained the morning drill to the Rangers. From here on out, morning training would be a one-on-one fight against their mentors so Shin could see how much they progressed and what he needed to focus on with each of the Rangers to get them up to their expected level.

Ji always knew Shin had been strict when it came to the way of the Samurai. To him, there was no messing around. Any Samurai who wasn't completely focused on his duty was a danger to himself, to his team, and the entire planet. Shin couldn't have that. The fate of the world was at stake, and it was in the hands of six children.

"You all have potential," Shin told the Samurai. "Unfortunately, my son has allowed you to goof off for far too. He has allowed you all to be distracted. This is unacceptable."

Ji just lowered his head. Shin wasn't commenting on the skill and style of the Rangers, he was attacking him.

"Ji," Shin turned around, "Get the medical kit ready. Hopefully it will be your brothers and sisters who will need it and not your team."

"Yes, father," Ji sighed as he got up and walked to the kitchen, where he kept the first aid kits. He heard Jayden volunteering himself as the first to go, stating he would never ask his team to do anything he wouldn't do himself. Ji knew that would have earned him a few points with Shin.

Ji breathed heavily as he opened up the first aid kits and saw the coloured bandages. He bought them for the Rangers because he thought it would be fun for them, instead of the regular bland colour which always made the Rangers wince and groan when he tended to them. Then he opened the freezer and pulled out the animal shaped ice packs. He had also bought these for fun. He reached into the very pack of the freezer and grabbed a frozen bag of peas. They had been thawed and frozen so many times, they were only good for treating injuries, and had since been labeled: _Emily's peas. Do not use them, no matter how hurt you are, because she's likely going to need them soon, and she'll need them more than you._

As he set everything down on the counter he shook his head. Being a Samurai was an important duty. It required everything Shin was teaching the Rangers now: discipline, focus, practice, strength. The Rangers needed to respect their lives as Samurai, and needed to put everything aside, from friends and family, to dreams and goals. Ji had been letting them play fast and loose with the rules for a little too long, and now his father was not happy. He had let the Rangers down.

He had been just a boy when the Rangers' grandparents had been at the Shin House. He remembered how hard they all worked, and how hard he had to work with his brothers and sisters in order to one day take his father's place.

"_Mako!" _Shin shouted as the pink Ranger hit the mat and struggled to get up. He slammed his cane against her back, knocking her down again, _"Will this help your team? Get up!"_

Young Ji, who had always been his father's assistant while the Rangers trained, walked over to Mako with a cool cloth for her back, but Shin swatted the cloth from his hand and shook his head.

"_You will not be there for her in battle, Ji," _his father reminded him. Shin turned his back, "Samurai, continue."

A young Ji could only watch as the Samurai went back to training while Mako slumped to the ground, completely defeated. Shin shook his head and sighed.

In the present, Ji looked down the hallway. He loved his father. When Shin wasn't busy training the defenders of the planet, he was kind, caring, and very loving. Ji had seen him, from time to time, interacting with his team of Rangers and enjoying a good laugh after hours. But during the day, he seemed cold and heartless, especially to this generation, who he considered spoiled.

"I am sorry, Rangers," he whispered as he collected his things and walked back to the dojo. To his surprise, training had already come to an end and the Rangers were sprawled out on the floor. Shin shook his head. He was about to say something when the Gap Sensor went off. He turned to his children.

"Go."

As they had promised, the mentors took over the Ranger duties for the beaten Samurai. Shin knew there was no way he could whip the Samurai into shape from such a pathetic state, while expecting them to face the Nighlok and win.

"They cannot morph," Ji said, "Father, how are they going to…?"

"We've come prepared," Hikaru promised Ji as he led the rest of his brothers and sisters out the door. Shin turned his back to the Rangers.

"Unfortunately, we are done," he said. "Ji…"

"I will take care of them," Ji nodded and he knelt by Mike and rolled him onto his back.

"Dude, do something," Mike muttered and clutched his ribs tightly, "No offence, but your family's got to go. They're beating the shit out of us."

"I am sorry," Ji lowered his head as he placed the cool ice pack over Mike's ribs, "I'm afraid my father is right."

"What?" Mia lifted her head, "What does that mean?"

Ji didn't answer. He focused on tending to Mike, and looked around at the other Rangers to see the damage done.

Jayden sighed loudly and looked to his friends, "It means we're on our own."

Ji finished with Mike and laid him down comfortably on the floor so he could rest before he moved on to Kevin. He had his back turned to Mike, who instantly gave the others a look. His eyes lingered for a moment longer on Emily.

"_Stay safe,"_ he mouthed to her and then he turned to Mia, _"Keep an eye on her."_

"_Where are you going?"_ Jayden mouthed and then he saw both Mike and Antonio getting up to their feet as silently as possible.

"_Help,"_ Mike answered back. He and Antonio quickly snuck out the window and ran away from the house as fast as possible.

Kevin watched them go and then he looked up at Ji. He saw the older man shaking his head, "Ji…"

"Let them go," Ji whispered.

-Samurai-

Fortunately, there was no school, or Serena would have been forced to miss another day and the principal really wouldn't have been happy.

Terran was on his mat, playing with a few toys that James had bought for him for his visits. The little boy kept looking for his mother to play with him, but Serena sat on the couch unmoving. All she could do was watch her son as Shin's words raced through her head and her own voice told her it was very possible he was right.

"Serena," James called her name and he finally got her attention. He held out some coffee for her, "Drink it."

She shook her head, "I'm going to nap."

"You just got out of bed. Serena, we can talk about this," he called after her but Serena slammed his bedroom door shut. Terran looked up in alarm at the loud noise, saw his mother nowhere in sight and cried loudly. At the same time, the doorbell rang.

"Perfect," James muttered as he picked Terran up from the mat and opened the front door. He was greeted by Antonio and Mike, both seemed to be badly hurt, and both seemed relieved to see Terran. Mike took the little boy from James, who quickly invited the Rangers in and had them sit on his couch while he went to the kitchen to get some ice packs. It seemed like they were desperately needed.

"What happened to you guys?" James asked from the kitchen. He brought over two ice packs and handed them to the boys. Antonio put his over his shoulder and sighed in relief as the cool pack helped ease some of his pain. Mike pressed his against his ribs.

"New mentors."

"Serena told me about that," James said. "I hear they're a pain."

"Yeah," Antonio winced and shifted slightly while accepting Terran from Mike. The green Ranger got up.

"Where's Serena?"

James pointed to his bedroom, "The one named Shin said something horrible. She's shaken up… it's bad."

"How bad?" Antonio asked while Mike went to knock on the door, hoping he could convince Serena to come out. James just shook his head.

"Shin suggested Serena kill Terran because he's a Nighlok."

"What?"

"He thinks it's for the best for everyone. Serena believes him. I've tried to tell her it was lies but… she won't listen."

"Why would he say that?" Antonio asked as he hugged Terran a little closer. He could never imagine hurting his little nephew.

"I don't believe this anymore," James stated carefully, "but… unless you love Terran… it does look bad. The war is Nighlok vs. humans and so far we haven't met a single Nighlok who is 100% on our side. Terran's harmless now, but he's just a baby. When he gets older… it'll just get worse. He could turn on the human race… or…"

"Or?"

"He won't fit in," James muttered. He took a seat next to Antonio and held Terran's little hand in his, "He's a Nighlok. You guys can try to hide it all you want but it's true. He'll find out, he'll know he's the only one. Though it might not show, he'll feel like an outsider… like he doesn't belong with us. But if he grows up as a human, do you think Xandred will take him in? Treat him with kindness?"

"Xandred doesn't even treat himself with kindness," Antonio muttered but he understood the point James was making. Terran was a first and a complete mystery. No one knew what would happen with him when he got older and stronger. Even if he was faithful to the humans, he would always be an outcast.

"Tortured," James said, "Serena used it last night. I think Shin said it to her too. We're torturing Terran."

Suddenly there was a loud shriek from the bedroom before Mike walked out with Serena on his shoulder. He carried her over to the love seat and then dropped her into the cushions. Serena tried to get up but Mike grabbed her and pushed her back down. Every muscle in his body hurt as he wrestled with her, but he knew if he didn't get her back on his side, he would only hurt more. The Rangers would hurt more.

"Snap out of it!" he shouted, "Serena, we need you to come home!"

"Let me go!" Serena screamed and in her struggle she hit Mike in the ribs. As he let go of her and doubled over in pain, she jumped up. She ran for the door. James went after her. He didn't want her going far by herself. He caught up to her quickly just before she reached the door and knocked her to the ground. He landed on top of her and straddled her. When she tried to push him off he grabbed her wrists and pinned them to the floor. Though she was a trained Samurai, James was still bigger and stronger than she was because he too worked out every day, if anything, to keep up with her.

"You're being ridiculous," he shouted at her and her struggling stopped. "Terran's happy, Serena. He's one of the happiest little boys I've ever met. You love him and you'll do what's best for him. That's not torture."

"Stop it…"

"Shin is wrong," James pulled her up and hugged her warmly, "You don't have to kill him, Serena. Don't listen to what anyone else tells you to do."

As James calmed Serena down, Antonio quickly explained to Mike what James had told him. Mike seemed horrified, but then shook his head. He grabbed Terran in his arms and walked over to Serena. He knelt down beside her and James.

"I went to the future," Mike whispered to her and it seemed he caught her attention immediately. She looked to him strangely, begging him to continue. "When Terran was sick and needed Sanzu Water, I tried going back to the past to collect some before we covered up all the pools, but I went to the future instead. I met future Terran and, in spite of everything bad that's ever happened to him, he was the sweetest kid. He was smart, he was kind, and he was so full of love."

"You're lying," Serena muttered. Mike shook his head.

"That bottle I got, didn't you ever wonder where I found it? Or how I knew a pool would open up soon after?"

"I…"

"Terran gave me that bottle."

"You're lying," Serena repeated. Mike chuckled.

"Do I look like I'm lying?"

"He's not lying," Antonio nodded his head in support of Mike, "I saw him go through the portal. I saw him come back."

"Terran," Mike placed the little boy in Serena's arms, "Will turn out amazing. How can he not? You are his mother."

"He'll be fine?"

"Happy, healthy, everything you wish him to be," Mike nodded. "But, of course, he'll be much happier if his aunts and uncles aren't killed by the bastard who suggested his mother kill him."

"I can't go back there," Serena shook her head, "Shin has forbidden it. I'm not a Ranger, I'm…"

"Mentor's doing whatever his father says," Mike sighed, "Serena, you've always been our stand-in mentor. Our guardian. Shin's… he's…"

"A dick," Antonio muttered and Mike nodded his head.

"I get what he's trying to do," Mike said, "but he's got it backwards. He's like… he's all the sides of Kevin, Jayden, and Mentor that I don't like, wrapped into one."

"And taken to the extreme," Antonio added.

"What can I do?" Serena asked. "Mike, he is your mentor. You can't just… you can't…"

"Fuck the Samurai duties," Mike shook his head. "I'm the rebel anyways, right? Antonio's Jayden's friend, and if Shin is saying you're not a Samurai then you don't have to take orders from him."

"He's got a point," James smirked. "You can go against him."

"But who's to say he's wrong?" Serena sighed. "He could be right…"

"We've been defeating Nighlok left and right," Mike said, "No one's beaten us yet. So we've made a few mistakes, it's never cost us…"

"And we're lucky," Serena said. She put Terran in James' arms and got up, "Maybe he's right."

"Serena, he threatened Terran. He got you to think about killing your son…"

"And I hate him for it, Mike, I do, but…"

"And while you're in here sulking, Shin's back there with his army of mentors and they're probably beating the shit out of the others again. I mean, look at us."

"You've got to break a few eggs to make an omelette," Serena shrugged. Mike clenched his fists and watched as she started to walk away. It was taking everything he had not to attack her and beat the sense into her.

Serena was about to walk into James' bedroom when Antonio stepped in her way and glared at her.

"What else did he say to you?" Antonio asked. "This can't just be about Terran. You'd kick his ass if it was just about Terran."

"Nothing," Serena tried to step past Antonio but he grabbed her arm.

"Serena…"

"He called me a Nighlok," Serena whispered. "He said my loyalties lie with the Nighlok, and I'm just deceiving everyone."

"Serena, that's not true," James spoke up, shaking his head. Serena spun around and glared at him.

"Is it?" she asked. "That's three different people who've called me a Nighlok!"

"Serena…"

"You're one of them!" Serena screamed then stormed out of the room. She slammed the door behind her.

Terran had it. He screamed loudly. The three boys exchanged looks.

"Now what?" Antonio asked Mike.


	89. Shin's Attitude

"_Ji,"_ Shin called out to his young son as he watched his children training in the yard. They were never going to be Samurai Rangers, but they needed the skill to teach the future generations. In a way, Shin pushed his children even harder than the Samurai because they needed to stay one step ahead. They needed to be better than the Samurai so they could teach them and so that the Samurai had someone to surpass; a goal to work towards. Each time the Nighlok came back, they came back stronger. Each generation of Samurai needed to be stronger.

Ji looked to his brothers and sisters. Ryuu and Sakura had already been called aside by his father, who wanted to talk with each of his children privately about their responsibilities as mentor. Only one would be chosen, but Shin was doing everything he could to make sure he chose the best.

"Remember, little brother," Ryuu put a hand on Ji's shoulder, "this is a big responsibility. If you can't handle it, you must tell father."

Ji nodded his head and nervously approached his father. He took a seat on the bench and watched as his brothers and sisters continued to train. His father put his hand on his back, "I will not be around forever."

"I know," Ji answered.

"From the very start our ancestors have been guiding the Samurai," Shin explained. "While we are not in battle, we have a very important role to play, and if we do cannot fulfill our responsibilities, we will be letting the Samurai down. Their fate rests in our hands."

"I understand."

"It's a lot to ask of you," Shin said, "I myself remembered not feeling ready when my father told me he had chosen me."

"You're excellent, father," Ji smiled. "You keep the Rangers on their toes. You keep them on their guard. They'll defeat Master Xandred for sure this time. They'll seal him away."

"I am not perfect, Ji," Shin said, "Surely, even you children have seen some things you have not liked. Is there anything you would do differently? Anything you would change to improve the skills of the Samurai?"

Ji sighed loudly. He hesitated to say it. His father looked to him, "Well?"

"What's the point of training?"

Shin gave his son a look, "You should know, Ji. Training is a chance for the Rangers to practice their skills, master techniques, try out new ones. It's a time for the Rangers to improve…"

"But you hurt them," Ji muttered. "They beat each other to the ground. They skip out on battles because they are still recovering from training. Why…"

"If they can't survive training, they are useless in battle."

"But father, the Nighlok win if the Samurai knock themselves out of the fight. Mako still hasn't woken up. It's been days."

"Ji…"

"You'll never defeat Xandred unless the team works together and when they go into battle they are at their strongest. When I become Mentor, training will be a time to practice, not a time for harm. I want to work on team unity, not just strength."

"Thank you, Ji," Shin nodded his head and he got up. He dismissed the other children and walked inside with a look on his face that meant he had a lot to think about.

In the present, Ji watched as the Rangers trained one-on-one with their mentors and were once again beaten to the ground. After his talk with his father, Ji had noticed a slight change in the way his father mentored the Rangers. He hadn't let go of his aggressive style, but he had been more restrained and when the time gave for one of his children to take over as mentor to the Samurai Rangers, Ji had been chosen.

"Father must have approved, so what changed his mind?" Ji whispered to himself and glanced at his father overseeing training. Since Mike and Antonio had run away, Hikaru and Itsuki had no students. Hikaru had taken over for Shin and trained with Jayden and Itsuki was going from one team to the next, helping out his brothers and sisters with their students however he could.

When Ji looked back to the mat he saw Mia on the ground, wiping the blood from her nose as Sakura, Miku and Itsuki all stood over her. Emily crawled over to Mia. As she checked over the pink Ranger, Sakura kicked her in the chest. Ji wanted to interfere, but his brothers and sisters would only listen to his father's words.

"Stop!" Shin cried, but to Ji's relief. "The Samurai have lost again. The Nighlok have won."

Kevin threw his sword to the ground in frustration. He knew the more they failed, the harder Shin was on them in the next session.

"Come here," Shin waved Jayden over. The red Ranger picked himself up from the ground and approached Shin. He stood as tall as he could, but he was hunched over from the beating he had taken.

"Yes?"

"Your team is already short two Samurai," Shin said, "If this were a real fight, you would have lost two more."

"I know," Jayden bowed slightly.

"Get your teammates under control, Shiba," Shin growled. "This is the real deal. This is…"

"Do or die," Jayden finished for Shin, "I understand, Sensei."

"You have the rest of the day off while I think of some other way to teach you," Shin shook his head and gestured for his children to head inside. Ji used this as his opportunity.

"Father, surely beating the life out of the Samurai…"

"The Nighlok will do far worse," Shin glared to his son.

Ji shook his head, "This is cruel. You cannot do this!"

"I'm trying to make sure the Samurai survive," Shin responded. "If they can't handle this, they can do like their friends and leave."

Ji stopped while his father continued to walk into the house. He turned around and saw the four remaining Rangers sitting together, checking over their injuries. Shin was right, the Nighlok would do far worse to them, but the only time Ji had seen his Rangers so beat and broken was after a Nighlok attack, when they came home battered and bruised, but they were in much better spirits usually because they had won the battle.

"I guess my grandmother wasn't exaggerating when she said the Samurai life was tough," Mia said as she wiped more blood from her nose. Ji walked over to check on it.

"My father has always been a tough man," he confirmed, "but something isn't right."

"No shit," Kevin muttered.

"How long is he staying for?" Emily asked Ji. "I mean…"

"Can't we just kick him out?" Mia asked.

"You have to talk to him, Mentor," Kevin stated. "Convince him to ease up if you can't let him to go home. I understand what he's trying to do, but we're a different generation. We do things differently. What worked for our grandparents doesn't work today."

"I will try to talk to him."

"Do talk to him," Kevin said. "Don't just stand back and be a coward. Grow a pair, Ji. Your dad's not in charge, you are."

-Samurai-

Mike knocked on the door to James' bedroom. He hoped he could coax Serena to come out.

"Nighlok have claws and tentacles and they don't…"

"They don't look like you," Antonio finished for Mike, "There are no beautiful Nighlok, Serena."

"Beautiful?"

"Gay, not blind," Antonio smirked. He walked up to the door as well and knocked, "C'mon out, Serena. We can talk about this…"

Serena opened the door, "Nighlok are evil, cold hearted people who think only of themselves. I fell in love with Dekker and because of that I put everyone and the city in danger," she slammed the door shut again, "I'm just as bad as the Nighlok."

"No, you're not," Mike pressed his forehead against the door, "You had one bad boyfriend. We all have bad boyfriends."

"We all?" Antonio smirked and cocked an eyebrow. From the kitchen table, James looked up as well.

"Speak for yourself, Mike."

"Everyone has bad exes," Mike sighed. "I once dated this chick who… let's just stop there and trust it was a regrettable night."

"Jayden's my only boyfriend," Antonio whispered to Mike.

"Make one up," Mike whispered back.

"Serena would know I'm lying."

"I can hear you!" Serena cried from behind the door.

James got up from the table and he knocked on the door, "Serena, can we please talk?"

"No!"

"I was an idiot, okay? I had no idea what I was talking about when I called you a Nighlok."

"You know, most boyfriends stick to beautiful, sweet, you know, a positive adjective," Antonio whispered.

James nodded his head, "Serena, I was wrong. And Shin and whoever else called you a Nighlok, or whatever, they were wrong too. Nighlok don't… You change lives for a living, Serena."

"Go away."

"Serena, Mike and Antonio are pretty badly bruised, and this is from the same guy who is still living with Jayden, Kevin, Mia, and Emily. Prove to this guy you're not a Nighlok. You're not a pushover. You take care of your family."

Serena opened the door and glared hatefully at James, "Oh, right. So I'll just prove I'm not a monster by storming in there and beating the living shit out of grandpa. That'll show him I'm not a monster."

"I don't care how old he is. I don't care who he is. This guy and all those other mentors are hurting your friends. It's like… it's Howie and the football team all over again."

"The football team you coached, by the way."

"You Samurai are unorthodox, and you've made your mistakes. You've had a few slip ups… but whatever you guys are doing it's working. You are defeating the Nighlok. The city is safe. This guy has no right to beat up the Samurai."

"Beat up Emily," Mike nodded his head. "He's not pulling any punches on any of us."

"And what am I supposed to do about it?" Serena asked. "I'm not some…"

"You know how to fight back," Mike smiled. "James was right; this is like Howie and the football team. They were dicks too, and in such a short time you turned them, and an entire school around."

"And, you're also our stand-in mentor when Mentor's not around," Antonio said, "and the only Samurai left who's not black and blue."

Serena crossed her arms over her chest. She looked back and forth between the boys, then over to Terran who was napping in his play pen.

"I do want to kick his ass for what he said."

"Or you can prove him wrong," Mike smirked. "You know, Serena, violence is never the answer."

"You keep believing that," Serena said and she started for the door. The boys exchanged looks.

"Where are you going?" James asked her.

"Watch Terran for a couple of hours, will you? If I'm going to take down that son of a bitch, I've got to know what I'm up against."

"Don't let him see you. He's old, but he kicks ass."

"When he's beating up my family, so do I."


	90. The Choices Made

Serena wouldn't call herself a rebel, but as a teenager she had mastered sneaking in and out of the house. She had done so before she had gotten sick to take some time to herself just to think. Her teenage years had been full of stress with school, her Samurai training, and fighting Emily's battles with the bullies. She loved the nights when Emily was asleep in her bed, and her parents were in their room, getting ready to sleep. Serena would sneak out to the barn with the animals and sit with them. Sometimes she would bring a few extra treats so they would keep quiet. After she fell ill, while she was still strong enough to move around on her own, she would still sneak out to get some time to herself so she could cry.

She knew if she could sneak around on her farm, where her parents were constantly on alert for any strange activity inside or outside the house, she could sneak around the Shiba House.

Sliding a window open, she got inside the house and muttered about Ji needed to install home security. She closed the window and made sure it was exactly how it had been before she touched it. The room she had snuck into was an unused study. She thought she had seen no one inside, but as she was about to take a step towards the door she heard something. She heard snoring, and it was coming from inside the room. She lowered herself to the ground and looked around very carefully. It was dark. Serena had waited for nightfall when she knew the Rangers and mentors would be asleep. She could make out shapes and figures and spotting one lying on a map on the floor in the corner of the room.

"Dammit," she muttered and very silently and carefully slipped out of the room. She stepped into the hallway and heard something that broke the eerie silence in the house. Someone was speaking. She followed the source of the noise until she reached the common room. She peeked around the corner, careful she couldn't be spotted and saw Shin sitting on her stool. He cradled a cell phone between his cheek and shoulder.

"The Nighlok are out of the house," Shin said to someone over the phone. "They are gone for good and when the Rangers are ready we will dispose of them at once."

Serena knew he was talking about herself and Terran. Shin had already called her and Terran Nighlok, and it made sense he wanted to see her gone, but she had to wonder who he was talking to. Who he was taking orders from?

"They don't strike me as a threat to the Samurai… manipulation and deception, I know, but if that is true, perhaps… yes. I understand. Goodnight, doctor."

Shin hung up the phone and turned around. Serena ducked back behind the wall before she was spotted and got to her feet. Very lightly and without making a sound she rushed to the bedrooms. She knew she wouldn't find anything important in her own room, so she slipped into Emily's and rolled under the bed, hiding herself in the shadows as Shin's footsteps approached. He opened the door. He walked into the room and Serena could see him standing at the foot of the bed. He stood there for quite a while and it made Serena very nervous.

_Stop staring,_ she thought, _creepy old man._

Finally, he turned around and walked out. Serena let out a huge sigh of relief and rolled out from under the bed. She dusted herself off and looked at the bed where Mia and Emily were curled up together. The first thing Serena noticed was that they seemed just as badly beaten up as Mike and Antonio. She gently placed her hand on Emily's shoulder to wake her up.

"Emily," she whispered softly so as not to startle her sister, "Pst, Emily…"

Suddenly, Emily nestled deeper under the covers and into Mia who woke up from the movement. Mia looked up and was about to gasp but Serena placed her hand over the pink Ranger's mouth, silencing her.

"It's just me," Serena smiled and Mia smiled back. She looked down at Emily, who was buried completely at this point.

"Emy, it's not morning. It's Serena."

Like a rocket, Emily flew into Serena's arms. She nearly knocked her older sister right off her feet, but Serena kept her balance.

"Mike and Antonio told me what's going on," Serena whispered to the girls. "How are you?"

"Surviving," Mia answered.

"Mike and Antonio are with you?" Emily asked as she looked up at her sister. Serena nodded her head.

"They're with James and Terran. Safe and sound."

"Good," Emily was relieved to hear that Mike had made it somewhere safe. She wanted him here to comfort her, but more than that she wanted to know he wasn't anywhere near Shin and the other mentors. They were making the Shiba House a living hell.

Serena pushed her sister back enough to look her in the eyes, "We're going to figure something out," she glanced up quickly at Mia, then back to Emily, "This will all be over soon."

Emily nodded her head, "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know," Serena sighed, "but that's why I came here. To figure out what Shin is up to."

"You're not going to find out in here," Mia said, "All we know is Shin and the other mentors are…"

"Bullies," Emily finished when the pink Ranger hesitated.

-Samurai-

Ji couldn't sleep that night as his conversation with the Rangers played over and over in his head. He knew they wanted him to do something, and he knew it was up to him to protect them, but he couldn't stand against his father. His father had taught him everything, had raised him up to be the man he was, and his father was older and wiser. When his father spotted a mistake, there was a mistake, and there was no correcting him.

"_The house is yours, Ji,"_ Shin had told him years ago and Ji remembered the day clearly. It was the day his family left the Shiba House. The day Ji took over for his father and the last time Ji had ever seen his parents, his brothers, and his sisters.

"_Always remember what I have taught you,"_ Shin told his son, _"No matter how skilled they may seem, the Samurai will always need guidance. A firm hand, a soft heart, and a mentor who sets goals and has expectations."_

"_The Rangers are almost here,"_ Jayden's father, Donny, announced as he walked out of the Shiba House. Young Jayden trailed behind him, looking around curiously. As far as he was concerned, the Shiba House never had any guests, and no one ever left. This was a strange day for him so he stuck close to his father.

Shin nodded and looked back to Ji, _"The responsibility is yours. Do well, Ji. We cannot afford any mistakes. I trust you, our ancestors trust you, and the Samurai, past, present, and future trust you."_

Ji bowed to his father, _"I will not let you down."_

Shin bowed as well and then led his family out. Ji's mother kissed him once on the cheek and tried to hide her tears as she walked away, knowing very well that this was the last time she would see her son.

"_They are here,"_ Donny announced and he lifted Jayden into his arms as the new Samurai walked through the gates, carrying their bags. Donny walked over to greet them and introduce them to Jayden, while Ji stayed on the porch and watched. A thousand questions swarmed his mind and he wondered how he was going to handle this bunch of Samurai. Would he do like his father or could he try something different and risk failure.

"_You should all come inside to introduce yourselves," _Ji announced and turned into the house. He heard the Samurai following him. He led them to the common room, where they each took their seats. One thing he remembered his father doing was introducing the team. They couldn't work together if they didn't know each other. Donny remembered this from when he was a boy. He stood up first. Jayden clung to his leg.

"_I am Donny. I am the red Ranger and the seventeenth head of the Shiba Clan,"_ Donny put his hand on Jayden's head, _"And this is my son, Jayden. I fight for him."_

Ji couldn't hide his smile. Donny had always been a good leader. He was strong and inspirational. He was a good man to look up to and, most importantly, he had his own style. He was similar to his father, where he took his duty seriously, but he and Ji both agreed on team unity.

"_Patrick,"_ Ji heard the blue Ranger say, _"My father trained me from the day he returned from the Shiba House. My duties as a Samurai are the most important thing in my life because I do not want my own son to be forced down this path."_

"_David,"_ the green Ranger smiled, _"I've got a son back home too, but who wouldn't want to be a Power Ranger? I'm all for stopping evil, but a normal life is too boring for me."_

"_Noa,"_ the pink Ranger introduced herself. Ji noticed she was fiddling with letter. Later he would find out her husband had moved with her and was staying in an apartment nearby, ready and willing to risk his life to stay with his wife. The letter contained his address as well as a schedule for when they could meet. _"My mother taught me everything I know, and while I'm away, I hope she will prepare my daughter."_

"_Ellie,"_ the yellow Ranger said, _"I gave up everything to come here. I can't let my daughters take this path as well."_

"_What's that?" _Jayden asked and pointed to the toy in Ellie's hand. The yellow Ranger passed him the toy.

"_It belongs to my youngest," _she explained to the young boy, _"It will remind me what I'm fighting for."_

Ji smiled at the group and nodded his head, _"You may all go choose your rooms and rest for the night. Training will start tomorrow afternoon, once you have all gotten to know each other better."_

"_Tomorrow afternoon?"_ Donny asked, _"But Ji, Mentor told you…"_

"_I am mentor, now,"_ Ji said. _"I highly doubt you want your first impression of your team to end with someone on bed rest, do we?"_

"_I could do with some down time," _Ellie nodded, _"Getting all the way here on horseback was pretty exhausting."_

"_Horseback?" _Patrick frowned.

"_Faster than running, cheaper than paying for a cab,"_ Ellie chuckled and nodded her head, _"my ancestors moved out to the country a few generations back."_

"_I've never ridden a horse before,"_ David stated.

"_You're going to learn," _Donny assured him. _"It's one of the first lessons as…"_

In the present, Ji was pulled from his thoughts by a piercing scream and a loud crash that instantly pulled him from his bed. As he hurried to the common room, where he thought he heard the noise, he saw the hallway slowly light up and his heart sunk.

Ji and his family had symbol power. It wasn't as strong as the Samurai Rangers but it was more than enough to help them, especially Shin's power. Shin had learned to harness enough symbol power to create one very powerful, sometimes extremely lethal attack. It took a lot out of him which meant Shin was sure to only use it when he knew he would get the job done. Ji never wanted anything bad to happen to his family, but at this moment, after everything his family had done to the Samurai, he was hoping Shin would hit one of his brothers or sisters, or even himself.

Before he could reach the common room, he saw the bright light flash, heard another scream, and then a loud cry. Suddenly, his father flew out of the common room and smashed into the wall. He was immediately followed by Serena racing out of the common room. She jumped on top of him and beat her fist into his face once before Ryuu and Hikaru pulled her off and threw her to the ground. While Hikaru pinned her down, Ryuu picked up a sword from the dojo, one of the real swords, and he held it over her chest.

"Stop!" Ji shouted and he hoped his older brother would listen. Ryuu didn't move the sword as he looked up at Ji. A smirk appeared on his face after a moment and he lifted the sword. He stepped away from Serena and focused his attention on his little brother.

"Yes, Ji?"

Ji held out his hand, "May I?"

Ryuu placed the sword in Ji's hand and stepped aside. Ji stood over Serena and looked her in the eye as she renewed her struggle. Tears streamed down her cheek. Ji shook his head, "You're not fooling me."

As Ji moved the sword, Serena screwed her eyes shut. She heard a swoosh and suddenly Hikaru's weight on top of her shifted and she felt him falling to the ground. She opened her eyes and saw him, barely awake, pressing his hand against the side of his head. She didn't have much time to examine him for what happened before she was pulled up to her feet and pushed towards the door. She turned around and saw Ji standing against Ryuu like a fight was going to start.

"Nighlok don't cry," Ji muttered and he swung the sword again. Ryuu jumped aside instinctively to avoid being hit, opening a path for Ji to run to the door. He took it, pulled Serena, and raced out of the house. Ryuu, Sakura, Miku, and Itsuki started after him but Shin, finally somewhat recovered from his symbol power, managed to stand.

"Stop," he cried and the four skid to a stop. They turned to their father who held up a hand, silencing all protests. "It seems the Samurai are divided. It is worse than we thought," he pointed to the Rangers bedrooms, glaring at them, "You three, to bed. Ryuu, Miku, Itsuki, stay with them, keep your guard up. We don't know how many are loyal to the Nighlok. Sakura, take Hikaru to your room and look after him."

"Father, you should…" Miku started but Shin held up a hand.

"I am fine," he promised her, "I will stay here."

Alone?" Ryuu asked. Shin nodded his head and waved his children and the Samurai off to their rooms.

-Samurai-

Ji and Serena ran away from the house until Serena decided to stop suddenly. She fell to her knees and looked down at the dirt. Ji turned around. He knelt down in front of her and took her hands.

"I was never going to hurt you," he promised her. He pulled her into a hug, "What are you doing here, anyways?"

"Your dad was talking on the phone to a doctor," Serena whispered in his ear. "He's taking orders from someone."

"My father doesn't…"

"It's what I saw, Ji!" Serena shouted and pushed him away. "He was talking on the phone about getting rid of Terran and me."

"Serena…"

"He thinks we're Nighlok," Serena said, though it wasn't news to Ji, but the next part was, "he thinks I'm loyal to the Nighlok, and he thinks I've convinced some of the Samurai to follow me. Whether they know that means their loyalty is to the Nighlok or not. He wants to break that."

"How did you figure this out?" Ji asked.

"I went to see Emily," Serena muttered, "Shin explained why he kicked me out and I've pieced it all together. He's in there, kicking their asses and bossing them around to turn them into the little army of… emotionless zombies they'll need to be in order to kill me and Terran!"

"That won't happen," Ji promised her and took her hands again, "and you've shown my father you will put up a fight. No one has ever been hit by his symbol power and was able to…"

"You think I got hit?" Serena looked up, "Ji, I'm flattered, but I'm not that tough. Thankfully not, because if Shin thought I could handle that, the Samurai would be in for more hellish training."

"No one was, then?" Ji asked. He never got the chance to look into the common room to see the damage done from his father's attack.

"Ji…" Serena started but trailed off when she heard a faint clicking sound. She turned around and saw Scruffy running towards her, like his life dependent on it. She caught him in her arms and held him close as the young dog trembled in fear. Serena hugged him tightly until he was a little calmer and then she stood up. She grabbed his collar in one hand then look to Ji, "Let's just go."

"Serena, what happened?" Ji followed her through the forest, "Serena…"

"Can I tell you later?" Serena asked, but Ji knew she meant it as a demand. Whatever happened, she wasn't going to talk about it right now.


	91. Step Up

Antonio pounded his fist into the arm of the couch as Serena finished explaining what happened inside the house when she had gone to check up on the Rangers. She told Antonio, Mike, Ji, and James exactly what she heard Shin say on the phone, and what happened when Shin and Ryuu stormed in on her in the girls' room. At the end, she told them how Jayden had jumped in front of Shin's attack to protect her and how she wasn't sure of the state he had been left in. The tears in Ji's eyes seemed to indicate it was bad. He knew his father's power.

"So we're on the outside," Mike said, "Inside it's just the girls and Kevin, and we're not sure about Jayden."

"Against Ji and the mentors," James sighed. Serena shook her head.

"Hikaru's out," she reminded them and flashed a smile Ji's way, "he made sure of it."

"I wouldn't say out," Ji nodded, "but I did hit him pretty hard over the head. He's going to have to take it pretty easy for the next few days at least."

"One less thing for Kevin and the girls to worry about," Mike smiled, "As long as they don't do anything stupid, they should be okay until we can figure something out."

"We should get some sleep," James said, "I know it'll be impossible, but we should try. What good are we to them if we're tired?"

"I can move Terran's crib out of the guest bedroom," Serena offered but Ji held up his hand.

"I wouldn't mind sharing with him," he said, "If Mike and Antonio don't mind I take the bed."

"All I need is a couch," Mike smiled and sprawled himself out on the loveseat, "Take it, Ji."

"Yeah," Antonio nodded but it was obvious he was miles away. Ji just shook his head and followed Serena as she led him to the guest bedroom. Terran was on her hip and Scruffy was following her every move.

When Serena and Ji walked into the bedroom, Serena closed the door and started to get Terran ready for bed while Mentor sat down and watched. As she settled Terran into the playpen and made sure he was safe and comfortable, she quickly glanced up at Ji.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. She knew it must have been hard for Ji to find out Jayden had taken the hit for her. Ji loved Jayden like a son. She knew he must have been worried and very scared over Jayden's condition.

And he was but worrying and being scared wouldn't do anyone any good. He shook his head and smiled at Serena.

"Don't be. I am proud. He did what any good leader and Samurai would do. He knows he is not important…"

"Ji," Serena whipped her head up and frowned, "I know he's not…"

Ji shook his head and chuckled, "You misunderstand. Jayden is the most important thing in my life, but if we're going to get rid of my father, we'll need you more than we'll need him. You are more important to this mission that he is."

"Why?" Serena asked. She pointed to the door, "I get why the others are counting on me. You've failed them."

Ji lowered his head. Serena knew she was reaching him on some level. She looked down at the crib and saw Terran was asleep so she left his side and stood in front of Ji, "You saved my life today, Ji, and you stood up to your entire family to do it. But where was that when they first showed up? Why did it take Jayden having to get hurt, and me almost getting killed before you finally…?"

"I have never had to stand against my father before. Not like this."

"That's just an excuse," Serena shook her head. "You're their mentor, Ji. You're the one they look to for advice and protection. You know them better than you father and your brothers and sisters do. You know what's right for them, and what's not. You should be standing up to Shin, not me. You should be leading this… rebellion."

"Serena…"

"It's not easy, I get it," Serena nodded, "and that's why I have your back. But you better be the one to make him back down, not me. If not, I'm seriously reconsidering the way the Shiba House works. Don't think I won't be afraid to take over and kick your ass out. I'll over throw you, just like you need to overthrow your own father. Trust me, it won't be easy, but I'll do it."

Ji didn't say anything. He just nodded his head and let Serena leave the room. He crawled into his bed and closed his eyes as her words sunk in.

He was going to have to change.

-Samurai-

While Serena made sure Ji was settled with Terran in the guest bedroom and James was gone to get ready for bed in his room, Mike stretched out on the couch and made himself comfortable before he glanced over at Antonio. The gold Ranger was still sitting up and his mind was somewhere else completely. Mike reached out and gently squeezed his arm.

"Jayden's tough, dude. Don't worry about him."

"I should have been there," Antonio muttered. "I should be there now…"

"Okay, I know I'm not exactly the poster child for thinking clearly when Emily's in trouble," Mike chuckled, "but dude, trust me, you're of more use to Jayden if you focus on the things you can do. You're not at the Shiba House right now; you're at James' house. Jayden doesn't blame you for him being hurt and I doubt he wants you there holding his hand. He needs you out here fighting for him."

"But…"

"Jayden loves you," Mike smiled, "Trust me, he's probably happier knowing you're out here, safe and sound. Just think, if the roles were reversed, where would you want Jayden to be?"

"Out here," Antonio muttered and he glared at Mike, "I hate you."

"Because I'm right," Mike laughed. "You're doing all you can for him out here. I know it doesn't feel like enough, but it is. It's got to be."

"Are you worried about Emily?" Antonio asked. Mike nodded his head.

"Of course. It could have easily been her taking that hit for Serena, instead of Jayden. Then you would be telling me exactly what I told you," Mike smiled and then looked down at his pillow, "and I do wish I hadn't of left."

"It was the smartest thing you could have done," Antonio assured him and then chuckled, "Great, look, now you have me doing it."

Mike smiled back and then shook his head, "If, worse come to worse, Jayden is down and out… I've left her with Mia and Kevin. I know they'll keep each other safe while I work out here to help them all. That's what's keeping me from running back. And, if worse comes to worse, you can't go running back into the Shiba House or that hit Jayden took would have been for nothing."

Antonio nodded his head and laid down on the couch, "You're right."

-Samurai-

Just as James got into his bed the door opened. Scruffy was the first to rush in, making James shift over into the middle of the bed, and Serena followed. She closed the door a little harder than necessary and started to get changed. Fortunately for James, who wasn't a fan of dogs, Scruffy stayed by her side. Unfortunately, that continued when Serena crawled into bed next to him and Scruffy tried his luck as well.

"No," James tried to tell the dog who wanted to snuggle between the two of them. He tried to push the dog off the bed, but every time Scruffy moved, James pulled his hand away, afraid the dog would try to bite. Serena, who had been in a bad mood when she walked in, found she couldn't help but laugh.

"He doesn't bite," she assured James, "Emily and Mike made sure to teach him that was a no-no. Terran's more likely to bite you than Scruffy is."

"Speaking of Mike, why is he following you around and not him?" James asked and quickly pulled his head away when Scruffy tried to lick him.

"When he gets scared he normally runs to Emily," Serena shrugged her shoulders, "I guess I'm second best."

"Okay, well can he sleep on your other side?" James pulled away again as Scruffy shifted and tried to get comfortable.

"He's harmless."

"Don't care."

Serena laughed and called Scruffy over to the other side of the bed. The dog did as he was told and jumped over Serena. He lay down next to her, pressed against her and settled for bed. Serena looked to James, "Better?"

"Much," he leaned over and kissed her. Serena smiled back at him and nestled into his arms.

-Samurai-

At the Shiba House, Kevin refused to fall asleep and it seemed he and Ryuu had started a little competition. They were both trying to stay up longer than the other.

Finally, after a couple of hours of sitting completely still and in silence, Ryuu got up. He walked to his suitcase and pulled out a piece of paper, "I hear you're a swimmer," he said as he handed Kevin the flyer. Kevin put it down on his bed. He didn't even bother to look at it.

"We're not bonding," he said, "I want nothing to do with you. You chased away my friends. You hurt Jayden!"

"Your team is obviously falling apart," Ryuu said. "One little bump in the road and your green Ranger and gold Ranger go running for the hills, never to be seen again. Sometimes, the best thing you can do is know when to call it quits."

"So you can take my place?" Kevin scoffed and shook his head, "You're not a Samurai Ranger. You'll never be able to morph."

"I know my duty," Ryuu said. "I won't waste my time with a personal life. I won't make myself vulnerable or put my friends and family in danger by bringing them here or keeping in touch with them. And most importantly, I never abandoned my team."

"I've never…"

Ryuu pointed to the flyer and Kevin finally had a look. It was a flyer announcing the regional swim meet. The teams that were to compete were listed at the bottom. Kevin's eyes were immediately drawn to his old team. They had made it without him.

"But…"

"You left them in the middle of your last meet," Ryuu said. "Not a word of goodbye or an explanation."

"That was to come here. Being a Samurai is…"

"You knew the call was coming," Ryuu said, "Your father warned you, did he not? And yet you continued to swim with your team, knowing you could be called away at any minute."

"I couldn't just…"

"Leave them?" Ryuu asked. "Isn't that what you did?"

Kevin tossed the flyer onto the floor and got into his bed. He lay his head down on the pillow, "You win. I'm going to sleep."


	92. Kevin's Loss

Ji was up early, though he hadn't realy slept. H couldn't sleep. He knew little to nothing about Jayden's condition, which worried him greatly, and he knew Serena was right: he was going to have to stand against his father and he needed to do everything in his power to ensure the Samurai were treated properly. He could agree to a compromise, but he felt that was well wishing.

What bothered him the most, though, was that Serena had mentioned his father talking to a doctor. It seemed even his father wasn't in charge of what was going on, and he was simply following orders. But that begged the question of who was calling the shots. Who could possibly be demanding someone be so harsh against the Samurai while convincing a former mentor to be so aggressive with children?

A happy Terran cooed as Ji approached with a bottle. His father knew Terran had been a Nighlok almost right from the start. No one had told him, and Terran's second half wasn't something the Rangers announced to just anyone. No one outside the Samurai clan except for James, and he had been sworn to secrecy.

"Who could be out to kill you?" Ji asked as he pulled Terran onto his lap and fed him the bottle. "Who would want a child…?"

Ji trailed off as the pieces came together. He shook his head and groaned. He was frustrated with himself. He should have realized this the moment he heard his father had been on the phone with a doctor. He should have realized this the moment his father declared war against Serena and Terran specifically.

Ji couldn't fight against his father nor his brothers and sister, but he would proudly stand up to the doctor Harada.

"But first," he said to Terran, "We've got to figure out what the doctor's done to convince father to work for him."

-Samurai-

There was no training that morning. Shin had announced a meeting in the common room. The first thing the Rangers noticed as they walked into the common room was that Jayden's body had been moved. Mia was about to speak up, but Miku held up her hand, silencing her.

"He is in his room with Hikaru," she told the pink Ranger. "Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do except make him comfortable."

"You realize he's the red Ranger, right?" Kevin asked as he took a seat, "He's the only one who can seal Xandred away for good."

"Why seal him away when you can simply destroy him?" Shin asked. "When I'm done with you Rangers, you'll have so much power you won't know what to do with yourselves."

"But first you're going to beat us to a pulp, right?" Kevin scoffed. He couldn't stand Shin or the mentors. They had hurt him and the other Samurai too much, and it seemed they were only getting started.

"Only the best succeed," Shin shook his head. "I'm flushing you out. The good from the bad. I'll need to find where your loyalties lie. It seems Shiba, Forest, and gold Ranger have all chosen to side with the Nighlok. With your sister," Shin turned his attention on Emily. The yellow Ranger shrank behind Mia, trying to hide. She had been scared of Shin before he attacked her sister and nearly killed Jayden. Now she seemed completely terrified in his presence.

"When your sister comes back," Shin continued, "I hope you are ready to take her and that nephew of yours down. I'm sorry it has to be like this, but they have chosen their allegiances. Nighlok and humans will never live in peace."

"But…"

"Unless," Shin frowned then looked to Emily suspiciously, "you have already chosen to side with them, and against us. In that case…"

Emily felt a hand on her shoulder and turned her head. She saw Sakura standing right behind her and gulped.

"Emily's a loyal Samurai," Mia assured Shin when Emily was too scared to speak for herself. She looked Emily in the eye, "Right?"

Emily nodded, unsure of what else she could do. Shin seemed doubtful but accepted her answer.

"Then you have the morning and the afternoon off," Shin announced, "However, I would spend my time wisely if I were you. Tonight, I want to see how well the three of your will fair against…"

Before he could finish the Gap Sensor blared. He saw his children looking eagerly to the door but he shook his head.

"The Rangers have recovered enough for training," he said, "They are more than ready to fight. It seems I'll see firsthand just how capable they are. How committed they are to their duties as Samurai."

Kevin nodded and led the girls out of the house. He could only hope they would impress Shin and the mentors, but with the team cut in half and their spirits so low, he was sure this was going to be a difficult fight.

-Samurai-

Finally, everyone was awake at James' house and they all gathered in the living room to come up with a plan, however, they had been interrupted when the Samuraizers beeped.

Mike, naturally, wanted to rush into battle and help Kevin, Mia, and Emily. James had turned the TV onto the news and they could see Shin had decided to send them out instead of the mentors. Mike felt like if he couldn't help his friends inside the Shiba House, he could at least help and protect them on the battle field. However, as a group, they had voted against going to help. The Samurai were already in enough trouble at home. If the rebels went to help them, that would prove they were still working together, leaving Kevin, Mia, and Emily to face the consequences once they got home.

"Harada," Ji said, bringing the conversation back to their plans to fight against Shin and the mentors.

"Doctor Dick-Face?" Serena asked with a small growl, which Scruffy imitated immediately.

"He's the only doctor I can think of who would put my father up to this," Ji nodded. "After he refused to help Terran, I had Jayden fire him."

"He did call you a Nighlok by choice," Antonio turned to Serena, "Isn't that what Shin called you as well?"

"Yeah, but…"

"It makes sense," Mike nodded his head. "How would anyone else know about Terran? Or about you? Aside from us, only Harada knew. I think it's worth paying him a visit."

"No," Serena shook her head, "I'm not saying it's not him, but going to visit him would just be stupid. He's stubborn. He wouldn't just tell us what we want to know. I say we take him down by figuring out how exactly he's controlling Shin and we take that power away from him."

"How?" James asked, "You can't exactly go back to the Shiba House. Not unless you want to risk getting killed again."

Serena gave James a look and he sighed and shook his head, "You're not going to risk getting killed. There has to be another way."

"Uh, guys…" Antonio pointed to the TV screen. The footage they had been watching of the battle had been cut off which meant the station had lost its signal.

"Did they power down?" Mike asked and bit his lip nervously. Whenever the Rangers powered down, whether forced or at the end of the battle, the energy released from their suits always disrupted the cameras around the city, causing many of them to break, keeping their identities a secret.

"Yep," Antonio nodded.

"So they defeated the Nighlok?" Mike asked, "Or he dried up or…"

"Nope."

"So what happened?"

"Kevin took a pretty nasty hit."

Serena was instantly out of her seat and running for the door again. James called her name and she turned around.

"I'm going to the Shiba House," she told him, "If Kevin's down, everyone's going to be distracted. That'll be the perfect time to get in, grab what I want, and get out."

"You're going to get yourself killed!"

"I'll go with her," Ji said and he too got up from his seat, "Mike, Antonio, you two stay here and keep an eye on the news. Hopefully it'll be back on soon with some good news for us."

-Samurai-

In the park, Kevin buried his face in the dirt and hid until the fight was over. After taking that hit, he had been forced to power down. His Samuraizer fell out of his grasp and the Nighlok ate it, just like it had eaten everything else in its path. Kevin couldn't believe it. Not only had he lost his Samuraizer, but he had failed everyone.

"Kevin," he heard Mia cry as she rushed over to him. The Nighlok had run away, leaving the three Samurai in peace for now. She knelt down next to him and helped him out of the dirt. She wrapped her arms tightly around his neck in a hug, "Are you okay?"

"He ate it," Kevin whispered. "It's gone."

"We'll get it back," Mia promised him. "We have to."

Mia hugged him again until they were suddenly ripped apart. Mia was pulled away by two pairs of arms while Kevin was grabbed by another two and he was pushed back into the ground. As he tried to sit up, he was struck in the side of the face.

"Kevin!" Mia screamed and tried to free herself from Miku and Itsuki's hold.

Kevin was punched once more in the face before Ryuu pulled him up to his feet and shoved him. Shin stepped between his son and Kevin. There was a look of sheer disappointment on his face.

"What was that?" he asked. Kevin shrugged and spit the blood from his mouth. Shin raised his voice, "What the hell was that?"

"He ate my morpher," Kevin answered. He was punched once more and knocked right off his feet. When he sat up and glared at Shin he saw the old man pointing out of the park.

"Get out of my sight," he shouted. "You are worthless!"

Kevin got back to his feet but he couldn't walk away. His eyes met Mia's. He couldn't leave her.

"No," his defiance was met with another punch. As soon as he hit the ground, Ryuu kicked him in the stomach. As he wound up for another kick, Shin placed his hand on his shoulder.

"Give them a minute," he said and he stepped back. He ordered Sakura to let go of Emily, and Miku and Itsuki to let go of Mia. The girls rushed to Kevin's side. Mia threw herself in his arms.

"If they kick you out, I'm leaving too," Mia whispered in his ear but it was loud enough for Emily to hear. She nodded. Kevin saw this and then looked to Shin and the mentors. There was no more running. He had a free out, but if Mia followed him, Emily would too. There would be no more Samurai left and he was sure Shin would not hesitate to let his children go crazy and do their worst. On top of that, Jayden was still at the Shiba House, alone and vulnerable. They couldn't leave him."

"Don't," he told her as the tears brimmed his eyes. "You have to stay."

"But…"

"Mia, it's better if you stay."

"How is it better?" Mia shrieked.

"Just do as he says," Kevin whispered before pulling her in for a kiss and then wrapping her in his arms. As he hugged her, he looked at Emily. He continued to hold Mia with one arm while the other reached out and he pulled Emily in. He whispered in her ear, "Keep an eye on her, okay? And do as she says, but don't let her do anything stupid."

Emily nodded. Kevin gave her a kiss on the cheek. He gave Mia another kiss before he let both of the girls go and he stood up.

"You're making a mistake," he said. "You're trying to make us all stronger, but we're all getting weaker. It's your fault."

"Get out of my sight," Shin growled. Kevin instantly turned around and ran as fast as he could. Shin turned in the opposite direction and started to walk away. The mentors followed him.

Emily took Mia's hand, "We should go with him."

"We can run," Mia focused on Kevin's retreating figure. She got to her feet and tugged on Emily's arm, "C'mon, if we run now…"

"They'll catch up to us," Emily shook her head. "Maybe Kevin will find Mike and the others. He'll make them stronger and they'll come back for us."

"Emily…"

"We can't both leave," Emily said. "If we do, they'll turn around and we'll be punished. Or worse, he'll think we're traitors."

"We have to try something."

"I'm not running," Emily said. She let go of Mia's hand, "but if you want to, go."

Mia glanced over her shoulder. Kevin was far out of sight by now but she knew she could catch up to him.

"I can distract them," she heard Emily whisper and she looked back at the yellow Ranger. Running after Kevin and choosing him over Emily meant she would be leaving Emily alone to fend for herself against Shin and all the Mentors and she knew that if she could bring Emily with her, that would leave Jayden alone.

"Girls," Shin shouted from the distance, finally aware that the girls weren't right behind them. He didn't seem happy at all.

Mia wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulders as they started walking towards Shin.

-Samurai-

"What's your plan?" Ji looked to Serena as they approached the Shiba House. It seemed to be empty, but they were as quiet as they could get, knowing appearances could be deceiving.

"You smacked your brother pretty hard in the head," Serena said, "He's probably still in bed with a headache, at the very least."

"Maybe," Ji nodded, "but…"

"If Kevin powered down in that fight, that leaves only Mia and Emily against a Nighlok, right?" Serena asked, "Kevin's the strongest of the three of them. I have no doubt that on a normal day Mia and Emily can hold their own, but after everything your father has put them through…"

"You don't think…"

"Someone must have gone to help them out," Serena said, "meaning there will be less people inside the house to oppose us. This is the perfect time to snatch your brother and get out."

"We're going to kidnap my brother?"

"Yep," Serena nodded. She approached the house and peeked through a few windows before finding the one she wanted and she waved Ji over. She had a bright smile on her face, "Or, we could go for the two for one."

She pointed at the window and Ji looked inside. He saw Hikaru resting in Antonio's bed, nursing a headache just like Serena had predicted. On the other side of the room, Jayden was resting in his own bed.

"In our hands, we'll know Jayden's getting the treatment he needs," Serena smiled.

Ji nodded his head, "You grab Jayden. Hikaru may put up a fight. If he does, I would rather be the one to face him."

"You can't hold back," Serena told him. "This is the real deal, Ji. I have no problem beating the shit out of your brother if you…"

"I am mentor," Ji stated, "It is my responsibility to keep the Samurai safe. If this is what it takes, I am more than ready to do this."

Serena opened the window and slipped into the house first. Ji was right behind her. He was a little less graceful due to his size compared to the opening of the window, but he got in and approached his brother's bed. On the other side of the room, Serena lifted Jayden into her arms.

"Lay off the fish, lover boy," she whispered to the red Ranger. "Antonio's cooking can't be that good."

Suddenly Serena heard a grunt, and it hadn't come from her or Jayden. She turned around in time to see Ji smacking his little brother over the head once more. A smile crossed her lips as she watch Ji lift Hikaru over his shoulder.

"So you were serious about stepping up."

Ji nodded, "We should go, before anyone comes in."

Serena nodded and slipped out of the window, carrying Jayden with her. Ji was right behind with Hikaru still over his shoulder. She shut the window when he was out and the two of them sprinted back into the forest.


	93. A Deal is Made

The moment Shin and the Samurai returned home from the Shiba House he put Mia and Emily to work. With the team down to two, they were going to have to be ready to take on the duties their teammates had left them with.

He ordered for Ryuu, Sakura, Miku, and Itsuki to train the girls outside while he walked into the Shiba House. He pulled out his cell phone and dialled a number. The call was answered almost instantly.

"So?" the voice on the other end asked.

"I'm down to two," Shin sighed. He looked out the window and winced as Mia and Emily hit the mat hard.

"Two? How many sided with the Nighlok?"

"Three of them" Shin answered, "I had to kick the fourth one out. He lost his Samuraizer, but there's no doubt he'll go running to the Nighlok and his friends."

"Which two are left?"

"Pink and Yellow."

"Yellow? That's not good."

"For now she's agreed to fight on our side, and she convinced Pink to stay with us. We can work with this."

"Kill the traitors. All Nighlok need to be destroyed, and their followers need to go down with them."

"Doctor, look…"

"Do as I say, Shin. You can't afford to do anything else."

"Do I have to break them, though?" Shin asked. "Surely we can defeat the Nighlok without…"

"How else will you convince them to kill their teammates? I've seen them together. Their loyalty is sickening. Unless you can manipulate them into doing whatever you want, they will never harm each other. The only way to do that is through fear. Break them, or I'll break you."

"Don't hurt them…" Shin said but the line was already dead. He hung up the phone and had to resist the urge to throw it against the wall. It was his only way of contacting the doctor.

Instead, he walked to the kitchen and prepared some tea and snacks for Hikaru and Jayden, if the red Ranger was finally awake. He set everything on a tray and carried it to the bedroom. When he walked in, the tray slipped from his hands and the glasses and plates shattered when they hit the floor. Shin stood in the doorway with his jaw hung open. The beds were empty.

"Dammit," he muttered. It took a moment, but he got angry. He stormed outside.

-Samurai-

After running away from the park, Kevin felt like dirt. He had left Mia with some of the worst human beings on the planet, and there was no way he could go back to protect her.

He knew where to find the others, and eventually he would join them, but he couldn't face them until he had a reason for leaving. He knew they would be happy to see him, but more than that, they would be pissed that he had left the girls alone.

As he walked, he passed by the city pool. He had walked this way many times and he had trained himself to pay no attention to the announcement posted on the bulletin board on the wall. He had to leave his life as a swimmer behind when he joined the Samurai. But this time a flyer caught his eye. It was the same flyer Ryuu had showed him the night before. The Regional Swimming meet was taking place and Kevin's old team had qualified. They were swimming, and were likely training at this very moment.

"I don't have a Samuraizer," he muttered, "I need to clear my head. The pool was always the best place for that."

He stepped inside the building and the smell of chlorine instantly filled his nostrils. He took a big whiff and smiled. Right now, this was the best place to be.

He walked through the halls, admiring the pictures they had on display. One was even a picture of him, taken only a couple of years before when he had come in first at the Regionals.

"Simpler times," he muttered and then turned around to continue to the pool, only he bumped into someone as he did. He whispered an apology and kept walking.

The man he had bumped into watched him go before turning to the picture on the wall.

"Kevin?" he asked himself. He looked back to Kevin and suddenly grew excited. He ran off, "Guys! Guys!"

-Samurai-

"Are you sure I won't get arrested for this?" James asked as he secured the ropes around Hikaru's wrists and the arms of the chair. Hikaru was still out cold from when Ji hit him over the head, but when he woke up no one was sure what he would try to do, and they would rather be safe than sorry. "Isn't this kidnapping?"

"Yep," Serena nodded. She gently pushed James out of the way and double checked the ropes. She wanted to make sure they were tight and secure.

"Isn't Frankie in a lot of trouble for kidnapping?"

"Yep," Serena nodded again. James gulped.

"Won't we be in more trouble? We're not minors."

"Only if we're caught."

"Is there anything you are afraid of?" James asked.

Serena looked to him, "Losing my son. Watching my sister get the crap beaten out of her."

"Yeah, but…"

Serena gently tapped James' cheek, "You'll be fine. I won't let you get arrested. Neither will he, because once he wakes up, he's going to do whatever we tell him."

"How?"

"Payback," Serena cracked her knuckles. James gave her a strange look and took a step back.

"I feel like I got off lightly that time I called you a Nighlok."

"You have no idea," Serena nodded.

Finally, Hikaru started to come to. He raised his head and tried to move his arms but they were tied tightly to the chair. He looked around in a panic, realizing he was no longer in his bed recovering.

"Guys," James called to the boys and they gathered in the room. Hikaru watched them assemble around him and he started to struggle more.

"Let me go."

Ji walked to the front of the group and he stood before his brother, "We want answers."

"You have no idea what you're done," Hikaru cried. "When father realizes I'm gone…"

"You and I both know this isn't father's doing," Ji looked his little brother in the eye, "He's working for Doctor Harada. All of you are."

"I can't…" Hikaru was interrupted as Serena punched him in the nose, knocking him and the chair over.

James grabbed her and pulled her back before she could cause more harm. Antonio and Ji lifted Hikaru back upright.

"Why are you working for him?" Ji asked.

"Why are you working with her?" Hikaru nodded to Serena. "She's a Nighlok…"

"That's not true," Antonio shook his head, "Serena's on our side. You've got it all backwards."

"She fell in love with a Nighlok. She chose them…"

"If you knew the real story, you would know just how badly I want to see the Nighlok dead," Serena growled. "I fight against them."

"Against your son?" Hikaru asked. Serena shook her head and he nodded, "Exactly. One alive, no matter how young or harmless is one too many."

"Fine," Serena growled, "but your problem is with me. Not the Samurai. Leave them out of this."

"Why is father so rough with them?" Ji asked. "What is Harada telling you to do? Why is he convincing you to take out the only people on Earth who can stop the Samurai?"

"He's trying to break them," Hikaru said. "He knows he needs them to destroy the Nighlok, but Harada told us they won't willingly attack Serena or the baby, so we needed to… control them. But too many of you were loyal."

"So, Harada convinced you to…"

"Not necessarily convinced," Hikaru shook his head.

"Wait, are we talking mind control?" Mike asked.

"We have families," Hikaru looked to Ji, "After father chose you, our duties to the Samurai were over. We could live normal lives. Harada… I don't know how…. He's got my daughters. He's got all our kids. If we don't do as we ask…"

Hikaru looked down, "Please, let me go. I can't risk anything happening to any of them. If Harada finds out I'm missing, he'll hurt my daughters."

Ji looked his little brother in the eye. Growing up, he had been close with Hikaru. He had always been able to read him like a book, and it seemed the years apart hadn't changed that, or so Ji hoped. He nodded his head and looked to Serena, "There's the power you were looking for."

"If we get the kids away from Harada," Serena asked, "Shin will leave the Samurai alone?"

"You're going to help?" Hikaru looked up at Serena. She nodded her head.

"Despite what everyone seems to think, I'm no Nighlok. I'm on your side."

"Prove it," Hikaru looked her right in the eye, "Let me go home."

Serena scoffed, "Yeah, right."

"I'll go home," Hikaru said, "I'll tell my father what happened. I'll tell him how you're working on getting the kids away from Harada. He might go easier on your friends."

"So, while I'm running around, risking my life, I'm supposed to send you back to the Shiba House to pound on my baby sister and my friends some more?"

"Serena, maybe he's on to something," Antonio said. Serena gave him a pointed look.

"You're just saying that because Jayden's finally safe!"

"Jayden's safe," Antonio nodded, "and I'm relieved, but Kevin, Mia, and Emily are still my friends. I don't want to see them hurt either."

Serena rolled her eyes and looked at Mike, "Back me up here, please…"

Mike shook his head. He grabbed a knife and looked to Hikaru, "Here's the deal. We'll let you go back to the Shiba House. You hold up your end of the bargain and tell your dad exactly what happened here. Serena will go and rescue your kids from Harada. She will bring them back here and we will trade. You'll get your kids back; we get our friends and the Shiba House back."

"And," Ji added, "You will leave Serena and Terran alone."

"But…"

"They are not Nighlok," Ji insisted firmly. "Serena will prove it to you by bringing your kids home safe and sound. She will treat them with a kindness no Nighlok could ever show."

Hikaru nodded his head, "Alright, but if any of the kids tell me she threatened or hurt them, the deal's off."

Ji took the knife from Mike's hands and cut his brother free. Hikaru got up and ran as fast as he could.

Serena kicked the chair when he was gone, knocking it over. She then turned around and shouted to the others, "You idiots! I can't hurt the kids! He'll know that! How can you…?"

"We know you can't hurt the kids," Ji smirked as he placed his hands on Serena's shoulders, "Hikaru can't be sure of that, and I doubt he'll risk it."

"So, what, I get the kids back and then we hold them hostage? We can't do that? The kids are innocent!"

"My father will listen to reason," Ji promised her. "You do your part. Get the kids back from Harada and bring them back here. Then I will talk with my father."

"You better be right about this, Ji," Serena growled.

"If my father still can't trust you after you save his grandchildren, I will make him trust me," Ji said. "He did put me in charge because he trusted my judgement."

"And while Serena's beating her fists into Harada and you're working on your speech to your father what do we do?" Mike asked and pointed to himself, Antonio, and James.

"Take care of Jayden, Scruffy, and Terran," Ji said.

"I've got Jayden," Antonio smiled and he walked to the common room, "and Mike, I think Terran wants your attention. At least, the room smells like he does."

"I'll take care of Terran," Mike smirked. He looked to James, "That leaves you with Scruffy."

James gulped and looked down at the dog who had been ordered by Serena to stay in the house while she was gone, leaving him to search for a new master. Mike was preoccupied with the baby, and Scruffy had taken a liking to James.

"Uh… good boy…" James reached out to pet Scruffy's head. The dog moved in closer and James instantly jumped back, "Don't bite!"

Scruffy just stared up at James, confused by his behaviour. James took a few cautious steps back. Scruffy thought they were playing and started to follow him. This caused James to run, which only made Scruffy more excited. He started to bark.

"Stay!" James cried, "Sit! Lie down! Don't hurt me! Please!"

In the living room, Mike and Antonio both looked over to see James running around, trying to escape Scruffy.

"Should we tell him Scruffy's harmless?" Antonio laughed. Mike shook his head.

"This is better than TV."

-Samurai-

Mia came too as memories of what happened before she passed out flooded her mind. She had been training with the mentors, getting her ass kicked when Shin came storming out of the house angry. He started screaming at her and Emily and demanded to know where Jayden had gone and what had happened to Hikaru. Naturally, Mia and Emily had no idea. That had been the first they heard of Jayden and Hikaru being missing, but Shin wouldn't settle until he had an answer. All she remembered after that was pain and screams of _"I don't know"_. Not all of them were hers.

Instantly she sat up in bed, "Emily!" she cried out. She felt the bed shifting and in a flash there were two arms wrapped tightly around her. Mia looked down at Emily and kissed the top of her head as she hugged her tight, "Are you okay?"

"They hurt you more," Emily whispered. "They thought they would have an easier time getting an answer out of me."

"I'm fine," Mia promised and she pulled away from the yellow Ranger. She reached under the pillows and grabbed Monkey the Ape. She gave it to Emily and climbed out of bed. She tried to open the door but it was locked.

"He won't let us out," Emily said, "I've tried already."

Mia nodded and then turned to the window. It was their only escape, "C'mon," she held her hand out for Emily, "Jayden's gone. You heard him. We don't have a reason to stay."

"But…"

The door slid open and Shin stood. He looked to the two girls and smiled.

"You're up."

Mia reached for her pocket to grab her Samuraizer. She wasn't going to stay at the house anymore. But her pockets were empty. She patted herself down and looked to Emily. The yellow Ranger lowered her head sadly. Mia growled. She turned to Shin, "What did you do?"

"Follow me," Shin asked. Just as Mia was about to shake her head and refuse, Hikaru appeared behind Shin. Mia clenched her fists.

"You lied?"

"He returned with some interesting information," Shin said. He gestured for Mia and Emily to follow him, "Now come with me."

"Do as he says," Hikaru told the girls. Emily got up from the bed and took Mia's hand, clutching it tightly.

"I don't want another fight," she whispered. Mia nodded and walked with Emily to the common room. They sat down on their stools while the mentors and Shin gathered around. From his pocket Shin pulled out the disk for the Bullzord. He set it on the table.

"The Bulldisk," he started, "has the power to combine all the Zords into the Samurai Gigazord."

Shin laid out the disks on the table. In their haste to leave, the Samurai had left many things behind, "It seems you Rangers have all the Zords required."

"So?" Mia asked.

Shin pulled out the Black Box, "This allows you to control all the Zords."

"Not the Bullzord," Mia shook her head, "Only Jayden can control that. You knocked him out and let him get away. Who know where he is now."

"Safe with your friends," Hikaru assured the girls. Mia still wasn't happy, but she did seem a little relieved to hear Jayden was okay.

Shin sat down on a stool, "This is risky," Shin said, "If this isn't done right, all the Zords could be obliterated."

"That doesn't change anything," Mia shook her head. "We can't control the Bullzord, we can't form the Gigazord."

Sakura set down the book of Nighlok on the table, "The Nighlok you faced in the park was Scarf. Aside from a huge appetite, he's harmless. His real power is unlocked when he is destroyed."

"Doesn't matter," Mia repeated, "We can't control the Bullzord. We can't form this Gigazord."

"Besides," Emily whispered softly, "even if Jayden were here, Kevin's the one who figures out Zord combinations."

Mia nodded her head, "You kicked him out," she snatched the Bulldisk from Shin's hands and glared at the old man, "No amount of _training_ will change that. If you want this Gigazord to work, and if you want us to be able to defeat the Nighlok, we need our team back."

Mia grabbed Emily and started to pull her out of the room, "Looks like you plan's backfiring on you, _Sensei._ We're a team and we work together. We're different from the past Samurai, but we've done a lot more than they have."

Just before the girls could leave, Ryuu stepped in the way.

"You're mastered the Beetle Zord," he nodded, "You caught the Swordfish, rescued the Tiger. The Octozord was returned, the Clawzord was repaired, the Black Box was finally programmed, figured out the missing symbol for the Lightzord and tamed the Bullzord."

"Actually," Shin said, "Neither of you have done any of that. But you have a point. None of the past Samurai have gotten this far. In fact, all they've done is lose Zords and weapons. Unfortunately, as you grow stronger, so do the Nighlok. You'll need this weapon and you're not leaving the house, or this room, until you figure out a way to use it."

"But we can't," Mia growled. "The Bullzord only…"

"Excuses, excuses," Shin shook his head, "C'mon, girls, why let the boys have all the fun?" he pointed to the table, "Have a seat. Get comfortable. With that attitude, you're going to be here for a while."

Mia sighed and looked down at Emily. Ryuu was still blocking the door which meant they had no choice but to do as Shin asked. They walked to the table. Miku set down a notepad for them to start working.

Shin smirked and walked out. As he passed Ryuu he gave his eldest son a tap on the shoulder.

"For Hikaru's deal to work, we need them here, but we need them alive," he said.

"What if the Nighlok's lying?" Ryuu asked. "What if she kills Harada and the kids?"

"Then we kill her sisters. You and your siblings are powerful enough to take up the Samurai duties."

"If she truly is a Nighlok, she won't care about her sisters, though," Ryuu pointed out.

Shin furrowed his brow. He glanced over his shoulder at the girls then back at Ryuu.

"You have a point, but still, the girls are no good to us dead. Keep them alive."


	94. The Rescue, The Betrayal

Kevin didn't have his swim suit, cap, or goggles with him so he couldn't go into the pool. Instead, he sat in the stands and watched as various swimmers from different cities, and even a few from this town, practiced for the big meet coming up. He looked down at his hands and he longed for the day where he could get back in the water, back to training with his father and with his team for these swimming meets, as well as the Olympics.

Normally he could resist the urge to jump into the water. While swimming meant everything to him, his Samurai duties were more important. He couldn't let himself get distracted. He couldn't jump into the water every day. However, the Nighlok had eaten his Samuraizer, and because of that Kevin had been kicked off the team. He was no longer any use to Mia or Emily, and he couldn't see a way he could be useful to Antonio, James, Ji, Mike, or Serena. Shin and the mentors were tough. Tougher than Kevin unmorphed. He would get his ass kicked.

"Cramp!" he heard someone shout from the water and he looked to see Noah from his swim team had stopped practicing due to a cramp. Unfortunately, Noah was already too far from the edge of the pool to simply climb out and he could no longer swim with the cramp in his leg. He even had trouble keeping his head above the water.

Kevin pulled off his shirt and instantly dove into the pool. He swam over to Noah, grabbed him, and pulled him back to the edge where Noah could grab onto the side and keep himself up.

"Kevin? Is that really you?" Noah asked as he took a good look at the man who saved him.

Kevin sighed, "Don't try to talk. Just breathe."

Kevin pulled himself out of the water and then reached his hand out to help Noah. The other swimmer just shook his head as his team raced over.

"Don't help me," Noah snapped, "My team will take care of me."

Two of Kevin's former teammates helped Noah out of the water while a third, one Kevin didn't recognize, looked to him in complete awe.

"It is you," he said and Kevin turned around to see he had his hand outstretched. Kevin shook the hand and his head, "You're a legend around here."

"Yeah, I don't know about that," he sighed. Noah's words had stung him deeply. He knew he had abandoned his team, and he knew he had done so for a good reason, but Noah and the others didn't. To them, Kevin had just decided to turn around and leave them hanging high and dry _in the middle_ of one of the most important swim meets of their lives. Without a doubt, Kevin knew his disappearance had caused the team to be disqualified, crushing all their dreams. They had a right to be angry and bitter.

It was better to leave his team than try and convince him he had a good reason when he couldn't explain, but as he started to walk he heard Noah say: "You were the best anyone around here has ever seen. I'll never understand why you just walked away from all that."

Kevin turned around, "I wish I could explain but…" he shook his head. There was really nothing he could say to help them except, "Good luck."

-Samurai-

Before she had left, Ji had given Serena the address to the home he had given Dr. Harada after they had fired him. It was the only place they knew he could be hiding, and everyone hoped he was stupid enough to stay in his home with Ji's nieces and nephews.

Serena had never broken into a house before, nor had she ever done much sneaking around in broad daylight, but she knew she had to try. She leapt into the backyard of the small home, hoping for a little more privacy while she tried to find a way inside the house. She started with the windows but they were all locked. Either the doctor was a really paranoid man and always locked his windows despite the fact that he lived in one of the safest neighbourhoods, or he was hiding something. Serena hoped for the latter, even if it wasn't the kids. Anything she could use against him would serve her well.

There was no easy and subtle way to get into the house, so Serena knew she would have to make some noise. It was still Easter weekend and the schools were on holidays. Most of the kids were home and the beautiful weather meant many of them were outside, playing in the streets. That was how Serena had managed to sneak into the backyard in the first place. Some of the students from her school lived on the street and she had joined them for a game of catch. She _accidentally_ tossed the ball into the doctor's yard and told them she would throw it back to them, but then she had to leave. The kids believed her (she knew they would. They weren't the brightest students, nor the most focused), which meant she had more time to disappear behind the fence without the kids noticing she hadn't come back.

All the noise from the kids meant the small noises she made weren't too obvious. So she created a rock from symbol power and smashed it through the window. It was loud, but the kids on the street, the passing ice-cream truck, and the dogs barking were just a little louder.

"Awesome neighbourhood," Serena muttered to herself as she climbed through the broken window and into the house. She was surprised the paranoid doctor had no home alarm system, but that only helped to confirm her theory that he was hiding something, and wasn't worried about a simple home invasion.

The window got her into the living room and the doctor didn't seem to be around, but Serena wouldn't take the chance he came back and quickly hurried into the hallway and to the stairs. She had to pass by the kitchen and she saw a tray full of glasses sitting on the counter, but still no Harada. She counted eight glasses and hoped those had been used for the kids.

She hurried up the stairs but started to slow down as she reached the top. It seemed the doctor wasn't home at all. She poked her head into a few rooms to see if she could find anything, but there was nothing.

"_He kept me in the closet,"_ Serena remembered Emily telling her when she was finally home after being kidnapped by Frankie, _"His mother would walk right into his room but would never know I was there because she never checked his closet. Who would?"_

"I will," Serena whispered to herself. She walked into the guest bedroom and opened the closet. It wasn't very big, but she did find what she was looking for. The doctor had been stupid enough to keep his hostages in the one place the Samurai could find them, and he had hidden two of them in this very room. She knelt down and pulled their gags from their mouths, "I'm here to get you out," she told them.

They weren't kids like she expected. In fact, they were closer to her age and the Rangers' ages. Either way, they were the hostages she was trying to rescue, and she was going to get them out.

"There's more," the young man told her, "in the other rooms."

Serena nodded. She used her symbol power again to create a knife and cut the man's hands free. She gave him the knife so he could cut the rest of his ropes as well as the ropes of his sister or cousin, whoever it was with him.

She walked into the other guest bedroom, which Harada had converted into a study. She walked to the closet and opened it up. There were three more hostages cramped inside. She told them she was here to help and then created another knife. She cut one of them free and let them work their own way out while she went to find the others.

"There's eight of us," one of the hostages told her. Serena had three more to find so she walked into the master bedroom, opened the closet and there they were. She cut them free and met up in the hallway with the others.

The oldest saw her and spoke up, "Those knives… you're one of the Samurai, aren't you?"

Serena nodded her head, "You won't believe what the doctor's done to the rest of my team."

"We know," the oldest told her. "He says he's going after a human Nighlok. He's trying to flush her out of the Samurai before she poisons everyone."

"And he's not being gentle," another hostage said. She looked to the two others she had been crammed with, "We heard some of his phone calls. Mom and the others…"

"We're going to get this sorted," Serena promised her and the others. "Are you guys all okay to get out and come with me?"

"The doctor will be back any minute," another hostage, he looked to be the youngest, spoke up. "He went out to the pharmacy."

"We'll be gone before he comes back," Serena said. She had them follow her down the stairs and back to the living room. Just as they started to climb out of the window, Serena heard the door unlock.

"You weren't kidding," she looked to the youngest and he nodded his head. She helped him out of the window and then slipped out herself. "Duck," she told them and lowered herself under the window. There was no point in running. Harada would see her helping his hostages over his fence. She placed herself right under the window and looked up, while the hostages were pressed against the wall, some even hiding around the corner so they wouldn't be seen.

Right beside her was the youngest of the group. He hadn't had time to get far like his cousins. Serena lightly touched his arm, "You'll be fine."

"No!" she heard the doctor shout as he finally noticed the broken window. She heard him running for it and when he was close she jumped up and grabbed him. She wrapped her arm around his neck, ready to snap it.

"We meet again," she whispered in his ear.

"Nighlok."

"I'm not the one with hostages at my house."

"Hika…" Serena squeezed his neck so he couldn't speak.

"He's with his family. Just like your hostages will be, and just like I should be," Serena let go of his neck, "I'd kill you, but I'm not a Nighlok."

She pushed Harada onto the floor and signalled for the group to start running from the yard. Harada rolled over and glared at her.

"You have no idea what's coming," he glared.

"Do your worst," Serena stepped back from the window and held her arms out, opening herself up for an attack. Harada was a doctor, he was no fighter, and even if he had been, he was too old now. Serena knew she could take him. Harada seemed to know as well. He shook his head.

"Go," he told her and sounded defeated. Serena smirked and took off with the hostages. She jumped the fence and found them on the other side.

"Follow me," she said, "I can't take you straight to your parents, but you're going to be safe."

"Are you really a Nighlok?" the youngest asked her.

Serena turned to him, "Do I look like a Nighlok?"

"No."

"Could a Nighlok use symbol power to make that knife that set you free?"

"No."

"I trust her," the oldest gave his cousin a pat on the back, "Anyone's better than that wacko doctor anyways."

-Samurai-

At the Shiba House, Shin was in the kitchen while everyone else was in the common room, watching and waiting for Mia and Emily to figure out the Gigazord combination. Shin sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. He hated himself for this, but he had to do as the doctor said, and he had to believe the doctor was right. If there was a Nighlok among the Samurai, he had to flush her out. He just hated how cruel he had to be to do so. Doctor Harada seemed to take no mercy. To him, each and every Samurai Ranger was scum, and those who chose to side with the Nighlok needed to be destroyed. The others: reformed and turned into killing machines. The doctor saw it as the only way to convince the Samurai Rangers to kill one of their own, and Shin was forced to go along with the plan unless he wanted something to happen to his grandkids.

Fortunately, Harada couldn't watch his every move. He had no idea Shin was trying to help the Rangers out after cutting their numbers down. If they could figure out a way to get the Gigazord operational, they would have the strongest weapon that he knew about in their arsenal. He hoped that would make up for whatever loss they would suffer.

Suddenly, his cell phone rang. The doctor was calling. He immediately picked it up.

"Yes?"

"Dead," Harada told them. "Each and every one of them are dead."

"No… but you…"

"The Nighlok," Harada said. "She came in and killed them all."

Shin clenched his fists, "You're lying."

"I'll be at the Shiba House within the hour," Harada promised and then hung up the phone. Shin stared at the cell phone in his hands. He wanted to believe the doctor was lying, but he couldn't. He knew the plan Hikaru had made with the Nighlok. She was going to rescue his grandchildren. Shin and their parents had taught them some of the basics with the swords, as well as hand-to-hand combat, but if they hadn't been strong enough to escape the doctor, they were defenseless against Serena. Shin had suffered a few injuries at her hands when she had invaded the house.

He let out a breath to relax himself and walked to the common room. He stepped past Ryuu and over to the table, where the girls were working on the Gigazord.

"How is it coming?"

"Kevin's the Zord guy," Mia glared at him, "and Jayden's the one with all the power. You sent Kevin away and nearly killed Jayden. How do you think its going?"

Shin nodded his head then looked right at Emily, "We haven't heard from the other Rangers in a while. Not since your sister came here."

"Emily, think we can do it this way?" Mia asked, trying to keep Emily's attention away from Shin and focused on the Gigazord instead, "With the Battlewing like this?"

"Your sister went right for you. Even as a Nighlok, you still mean a lot to her, don't you?"

Emily looked up at Shin, "Serena's not a Nighlok."

"I beg to differ," Shin said. He looked to the work the girls were doing. It seemed like Mia was doing most of it and was just using Emily for a second opinion. "It seems you're not needed here. Sakura, could you take her outside."

"She's helping me," Mia took Emily's hand. "I need her."

"I can help you," Shin assured her as Sakura pulled Emily away from Mia and pushed her to the hallway. Shin got up and followed them.

"Get changed," he told Emily and pointed to her room. Emily looked to Mia who simply nodded. She did as she was told.

When she was gone Shin whispered into Sakura's ear: "Harada called. The deal's off. Your son is dead."

"What?"

"The Nighlok," Shin nodded, "She betrayed us."


	95. Harada's Finisher

Serena was happy to get back home to James' place, and she had all eight of Ji's nieces and nephews with her unharmed. They were tired from running all the way back and from their captivity, but they trusted her and they wanted nothing more than to get back home.

As soon as she opened the door to let them in, James jumped behind her, hiding from Scruffy.

"Thank god," James said, breathing heavily, "Mentor Ji went to work on what he would say to Shin, Antonio's taking care of Jayden, and Mike's watching Terran."

"They left you with the dog?" Serena laughed, "Aw, and I missed it?"

"Ha-ha," James laughed while Serena shooed Scruffy away. James looked to the eight people he was about to take into his home, "These are the _kids_ we're rescuing?"

"Their parents are my parents' ages," Serena nodded when she saw James was surprised by their ages, just like she had been, "Makes sense, really."

"So we show their parents we got them out safe and Harada can't threaten them anymore, and we get Kevin, Mia, Emily, and the Shiba House back?"

"That's the plan," Serena nodded. James smiled and invited the new guests into his home. He could only guess they were hungry and he walked them to the kitchen for a drink and a bite to eat while Serena gathered Mike, Antonio, Ji, and a recently awakened Jayden in the living room.

"You got them?" Ji asked and Serena nodded her head. She pointed to the kitchen where his nieces and nephews were sitting at the table. Ji breathed a sigh of relief.

Serena smiled and then looked to Jayden, "Look who's finally awake."

"Just woke up," Jayden said, "Everything hurts."

"You're lucky to be alive," Mentor assured him, "The pain will go away in time."

"Thanks, though," Serena said, "I owe you, Jay."

"You can pay me back by getting me home," Jayden shifted uncomfortably on the couch, "I'll recover faster if I'm home."

"We'll get you there," Serena promised. She looked over to Ji, "You ready to face your dad?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"Yeah," Serena nodded, "Either you kick his ass, or I will."

"Let me handle my father," Ji said. Serena gave him a smile and then got up from the couch. She walked to the kitchen and looked to his nieces and nephews, "You guys almost ready to go home?"

They nodded, scarfing down their last bites. James looked over to Serena.

"I can stay here with Terran and Jayden. You get them back home."

Serena nodded and gestured for the group to follow her. As she was about to leave with Ji and the Rangers, James called her again. She turned around and saw he was pointing to the dog, "Please take that thing with you."

Serena laughed and tapped her thigh, catching Scruffy's attention, "C'mon, boy, where's Emily?"

-Samurai-

Mia was sitting in the common room, holding back the tears in her eyes as she tried to focus on the Gigazord. She needed to get it to work and soon. The Gap Sensor had gone off too long ago, and three of the mentors had raced out to take care of the Nighlok, and hopefully recover Kevin's Samuraizer.

Sakura had stayed behind to continue her assault on Emily outside. Mia could hear Emily's screams from the common room and knew Sakura was not going easy on Emily. She had tried to run to help the yellow Ranger, but Shin and Hikaru kept her in her seat.

Suddenly, the front door burst open and Emily was pushed to the floor. Mia got up and raced to her side. She pulled her into her arms and hugged her warmly. She looked up at Sakura and saw she had brought someone home with her. Mia gasped.

"Harada?"

"I have plans for the two of you."

-Samurai-

After leaving the pool, Kevin wasn't sure where to go. Instead of clearing his head, the pool had only complicated his situation.

He kicked a stone off the path and shook his head, "Ryuu was right. I did let my team down. I abandoned them."

His team had been important to him. They supported him and cared for him, and were even some of his first friends. He had always known he was going to leave them, and when his father told him he would get the call from Ji soon, he should have told his team he could no longer compete. Instead, he had been selfish and decided he would push on right up until the moment he left. He had abandoned them, and very likely, he had made them feel like he didn't care when in fact, he did.

"I'm so sorry, guys. I let you all down…" he lowered his head and kicked another stone just before he heard a panicked scream. A swarm of people raced towards him, and he could see they were running away from something. He looked to the distance and saw the Nighlok that had eaten his Samuraizer, as well as three Samurai who were trying to stop him.

"Three?" Kevin asked himself and he got a closer look. None of the Samurai were Mia or Emily. His blood boiled. He needed his Samuraizer to morph, but he didn't need it to create symbols. With his hand he summoned his Spin Sword and charged into battle.

He had let Noah and his team down, but he couldn't do the same to the Samurai. He had been kicked off the Samurai team by Shin, not Mia or Emily, and they were trusting him to help and save them. After being kicked off, he had gotten so distracted by the swim meet and his failures with his swim team, he had forgotten all about them.

He wouldn't let them down. He wouldn't make the same mistake again.

-Samurai-

"Have you ever been to the Shiba House before?" Mike asked Ji's nieces and nephews as they walked through the forest. He was excited about finally going home and getting everything back to normal, with the Samurai Rangers as one team and with Ji as their mentor.

"When we were young," the oldest answered, "but too young to really remember much about it."

"I remember it being huge, though I was small at the time."

"Trust me," Antonio laughed. "It's huge."

Serena smiled and glanced over to Ji, "You might get off easy. If your dad really is the man you say he is, he'll honour the deal without you talking any sense into him."

"For your sakes, I hope that's the case," Mentor nodded.

Suddenly, Scruffy started to bark and he sprinted ahead of the group. Serena was the first to bolt after him and the others followed. They reached the gate around the Shiba House and Scruffy was barking wildly at the door, trying to get inside.

"Or it won't be easy," Serena muttered. She grabbed Scruffy's collar and held him back while Ji opened up the Gates. Mike and Antonio signalled for Ji's nieces and nephews to stay out of sight, just in case something had happened. As the gates opened, the first thing Serena saw was Shin and Harada and her heart stopped. She hadn't anticipated Harada would go to the Shiba House. She let go of Scruffy's collar, "Kill him."

Scruffy charged forward first and quickly chose his target but it wasn't what Serena expected. Scruffy raced right past the two older men and ran right up to the front door. He begged and whined and barked. He wanted to be let inside.

"Where's my sister?" Serena shouted as she stepped into the yard and was followed by Ji.

"After what you did to my grandchildren, did you think I would let her live?" Shin shouted.

"What did I do?" Serena asked with her heart in her throat. At that very moment, Mike and Antonio stepped out from behind the gates. Behind them were all eight of Shin's grandchildren. They were alive and unharmed, with the exception of the few rope burns Harada had left them with.

"Father," Ji asked as he looked to Shin, worry and panic on his face, "What did you do?"

Shin looked to his grandchildren and then over to Harada. The doctor shook his head.

"Lies, it's all lies," he said. "The Samurai create doubles, they…"

"Father," Ji looked to Shin pleadingly, "You trusted my judgement once. Do you think I would have let a Nighlok anywhere near the Samurai? My own son is one of the Rangers. Would I really be foolish enough to let a Nighlok into my home?"

Shin shook his head. He wasn't sure what to believe anymore. He wanted to believe those were his grandkids and that Ji was telling the truth, but Harada had told an interesting and very convincing tale up until now and Shin didn't want to believe he had been fooled, especially if it meant he had gone against the Samurai.

"We'll see," he said and opened the doors to the Shiba House. Mia and Emily stepped out. Serena, Ji, Mike, and Antonio breathed a sigh of relief, happy to see they were still alive.

"Emily!" she smiled and took a step forward.

Harada held up his hand. Serena stopped. Harada looked to Mia and Emily.

"Kill them," he ordered.

"Don't listen to him, Em!" Mike shouted.

"Mia? Girls, c'mon. It's safe now," Antonio begged. Emily and Mia reached for their Samuraizers, morphed, and leapt off the patio. Mia ran straight for Mike and Antonio while Emily charged Serena.

-Samurai-

There was no reason to believe he was right except for faith. Kevin, Miku, Ryuu, and Itsuki had the Nighlok right where they wanted him, but before they could destroy him they needed to get Kevin's Samuraizer back. They had no clue where it was in the Nighlok's body, so Kevin had to guess it was still in the arm. The Nighlok, though it continued to eat, wasn't getting any bigger except for his arm, which seemed to grow a little plumper with every item he ate.

Kevin sliced his Spin Sword across the arm of the Nighlok, cutting it right off and his Samuraizer flew out. Kevin grabbed it and morphed instantly while Itsuki, Ryuu, and Miku finished off the Nighlok.

Kevin breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the explosion but when the mentors turned around and gave him a look, he could see they weren't done.

"The Nighlok's true powers are unlocked when he is destroyed," Ryuu explained to his student.

The Nighlok grew into his second life, which held a different form than the first. This one was protected by a large and very powerful shield. The shield could defend the Nighlok against almost any attack, and took down buildings and crushed the city when the Nighlok set it down.

"How are we going to defeat that?" Kevin asked.

Miku traced a symbol and a notebook appeared in her hands. She gave it to Kevin.

"The girls kept saying you could figure out the combination for the Gigazord," she said. Kevin looked at the notebook and saw Mia and Emily had already gotten started on how to assemble all the Zords with the Bullzord, but they were missing the final step, the key to getting everything into place properly.

"It'll take a minute," Kevin said as he examined the book, "And I'll need…"

Ryuu produced the Black Box. Kevin took the Box but shook his head.

"I was going to say my team."

"Not happening," Ryuu answered.

"I'll at least need Jayden to control the Bullzord then," Kevin snapped. "Oh wait! Your father almost killed him!"

"Almost," Kevin heard Jayden say and he turned around to see the red Ranger limping over to join the group. Kevin gasped and caught Jayden as he stumbled. "But you're…"

"Not a hundred percent," Jayden admitted, "Nowhere near it, but we have to defeat this bad guy. What's the point of lying in bed to recover if this Nighlok wins?"

Kevin nodded. It wasn't ideal, but Jayden had a point, and one teammate to help him pilot all the Zords was better than nothing.

"The girls have been working on this," Kevin held up the notebook for Jayden to look at. The red Ranger nodded.

"The Samurai Gigazord. I'll control the Bullzord. You'll have to power up into Super Samurai and control all the other Zords by yourself."

"Think we can do it?" Kevin asked.

"We'll have to try."


	96. The Samurai Fight

Ji couldn't believe his eyes as he stared at the sight in the yard. The Samurai, his Samurai, his children, were fighting against each other, and no matter the outcome, it seemed there would be no winner. Mia and Emily were fighting with everything they had, while Mike, Antonio, and Serena were holding back, unable to hurt or even touch the girls.

"Harada's a liar!" one of his nieces shouted to Shin. Had Ji not been so worried for his Samurai, he would have smiled. Having a part of his biological family with him and on his side felt good. He looked over to his family and saw all the kids were trying to get through to their grandfather, who seemed to grow more and more confused.

"Serena never hurt us!" Ji's youngest said. Sakura and Hikaru stepped out of the house when they heard the familiar voices. Hikaru instantly grabbed his two daughters in his arms while Sakura wrapped her son in a tight hug. They seemed convinced their children had returned to them.

Ji walked up to his father with a stern look on his face, "I think it's time you admit you were wrong, father. My team has not caused this destruction, you have," Ji could feel his blood boiling as his temper rose far higher than it ever had before, "The Samurai are falling apart! My son, the red Ranger, was almost killed by your symbol power! The girls, my daughters, are fighting against the ones they love! And where the hell is my blue Ranger?"

"He lost his Samuraizer…" Shin lowered his head, "I thought he would be…. Ji, I'm so…"

"The Shiba House was not the way you left it, father, but you left it to me," Ji growled. "What I choose to do with my Samurai is entirely my decision. You left me in charge and you had no right to take my place!"

"Ji…"

"My Samurai have made mistakes," Ji continued his rant, "Yes, the child in my home is part Nighlok, and yes, one of my Samurai did fall in love with a Nighlok, but I never have and never will allow a Nighlok to tear my family apart! What have you done to my girls?"

"My own creation," Harada smiled as he interrupted the heated argument between the father and son. "Your so-called daughters cannot tell up from down at this point."

"He's been working on a drug since he kidnapped us," Ji's oldest niece whispered over his shoulder, "He's been taunting us with it and bragging about it. It confuses them and gets them to focus on only one thing."

"Destroying Nighlok," Harada smirked and turned back to the fight in the yard, "Just like Serena."

In the yard, Mia slashed her sword across the gold Ranger's chest and then kicked him into Mike. She took both of the Rangers down but had to find a way to keep them down and out. Her mission was to keep everyone away from Serena and Emily so the yellow Ranger to destroy the human Nighlok once and for all.

As Mike coughed and picked himself up off the ground, he glanced across the yard to Emily and Serena. He was desperate to help, but Mia wouldn't let him get anywhere near them, and he wasn't sure who to help. Emily was in little to no danger because Serena refused to fight, but Mike couldn't watch anyone go against Emily. At the same time, he couldn't let Emily kill Serena.

He was better off with Antonio. Mia was a strong opponent and there was no way the gold Ranger could hold her off on his own when he too refused to fight.

"Mike!" Antonio cried as he was kicked down again and Mia pressed her foot into his stomach, "Help!"

Mike couldn't hurt Mia, but he couldn't let Antonio be cut in half by Mia's Spin Sword. He tackled her to the ground and wrestled with her until he had her pinned under him.

"Snap out of it!" he screamed, hoping she could hear him over whatever it was that was telling her to fight against him. "Mia, we're your friends! We're here to help you!"

"You followed the Nighlok!" Mia screamed, "You're just as bad as she is! You need to be destroyed!"

"No, Mia, we left to help you," Mike told her, "Do you remember, after training, all of us lying on the dojo floor? I said I was leaving to get help, and I trusted you with…"

"You left us to die!" Mia struggled to get out from under Mike, but he pinned her down. Antonio came to his aid and with both boys holding her to the ground; Mia didn't stand a chance at getting back up.

"Kevin's going to kill us," Antonio muttered to Mike.

"Just don't kill her and he might spare us."

On the other side of the yard, Serena was faring no better against her little sister. Because she refused to fight and had no Ranger powers to morph into, Serena could never get the upper hand. She couldn't pin her sister down like Mike and Antonio had done with Mia. The only hope she had was that maybe, before Emily injured her too badly, she could say something that would break through Harada's control and reach the real Emily.

"Stop running, Nighlok!" Emily screamed as Serena got to her feet and did the only thing she could do to keep herself alive. She ran away.

"Emily, please…"

"You lied!" Emily summoned her Earth Slicer and threw it at Serena. The older Earth Samurai managed to avoid being sliced, but the tip of the blade caught her shoulder, tearing the skin. Serena clutched her arm and slowed enough to look at the blood.

"Dammit, Emily," she muttered, "Can't you just trip or miss once? It's normally not that hard for you to…"

Serena was suddenly interrupted as she tripped over the bench and landed face first in the grass.

Ji watched with his family from the Shiba House. He had to find something stronger than Harada's drugs.

"Ji," Shin touched his arm, "I think I…"

"You've done enough…" Ji snapped, tearing his arm out of his father's hand.

"But your brother and sister…"

"Have done enough as well!" Ji shouted. He shoved his father into the wall, "You've allowed the doctor who kidnapped your grandchildren to inject a drug, an untested drug, into two of the six Samurai who hold the power to defeat the Nighlok and keep this world safe! You've turned the team against each other! If Xandred were to attack now…"

Ji shook his head and held back his tears, "We're screwed…" he turned to his father and pointed to the Gates, "Get out!"

"Ji…"

"Get out!" Ji roared.

"C'mon," Ji's oldest nephew grabbed Shin by the arm, "Uncle Ji is right. You've done enough."

"We'll get the rest of our parents and get out," the oldest niece said to Ji, "I'm so sorry."

Ji nodded. He wished he could say more but he was done with his father and his brothers and sisters. He could understand their willingness to do anything to keep their children safe, but by doing so, they had endangered all of the Samurai, putting the fate of the world at stake. The Shiba House, for the first time in generations, had become a home. The Samurai team was more than a team, they were a family. If one, even one Ranger failed to make it out of this alive, the entire team would fall. It was a weakness and Ji was more than aware of that, but up until now, it had also been the biggest strength of the team.

The Shiba Home was their safe house. A place where the Samurai lived and trained in peace and without worry. Shin and the mentors had destroyed that, but Ji was going to bring it back. He turned around and headed into the house, hoping he could find what he needed quickly.

In the yard, Serena laid on her back in the grass as Emily approached her. She could try getting up to run again but she was tired. At this point, running was just delaying the inevitable.

"Emily, please…" she was truly terrified. Nothing she said was getting through to Emily, "Please, Emy… don't do this…"

"Mia!" Serena heard Kevin shout and turned to the Gates to see him coming in. He had been supporting a very weak Jayden but dropped the red Ranger as soon as he saw Mia pinned to the ground by Mike and Antonio. Serena watched Kevin race over, but Mike and Antonio quickly explained what was going on and Kevin paused. He was frozen and terrified, just like Serena was.

Serena focused on Emily again. Her tears stung her eyes as she looked up at her baby sister. She crawled away desperately, "Emy, I would never…"

"Nighlok!" Emily screamed. She pointed her sword at Serena's chest. Serena closed her eyes. This was it.

At that moment, Ji raced back out of the house. He had Kevin's swim medal hanging from one hand, and Emily's flute in the other. To his surprise and utter delight, Kevin and Jayden had both made it home.

"Kevin!" he called to the blue Ranger and he tossed Kevin the medal. Kevin caught it and took Mike's place on top of Mia. He held the medal over her face.

"Do you remember this?" Kevin told her, showing her the medal while he wiped his tears away, "The most important thing in my life after you. Until I bought you that ring, this was the symbol of our engagement."

Mia's eyes were focused on the medal. Nothing seemed to be getting through to her except for the medal. Suddenly, her eyes rolled back into her head and she fell completely limp.

"Serena!" Ji called to Serena just after he tossed the medal to Kevin. He launched the flute across the yard and it landed in the grass, just a few feet away from Serena. She fumbled away from Emily and snatched the flute up in her hands. She ran away, putting some distance between herself and her sister before placing the flute under her lips and blowing a tune she had played a thousand times before. Emily stopped the moment the music reached her ears. She listened for a minute before suddenly dropping.

-Samurai-

"Hold still," James whispered as he pressed the cotton ball against the cut on Serena's shoulder. She instinctively pulled away from the sting, but James grabbed her arm and pulled her back in, "The last thing you want is an infection, right?"

Serena didn't say a word. She just stared at the floor.

The second both Emily and Mia passed out they were whisked into the Shiba House. The last thing anyone heard about them from Ji was that they were alive, but he had no idea what the drug Harada had created would do or had already done. James had been called to look after the Samurai while Ji spent all his time with the girls.

"Kevin," James looked to the blue Ranger who had once again started pacing the room, "I know it sucks, but get some rest. You're exhausted."

"You think I can sleep?" Kevin pointed to the sleeping bag in the corner. James sighed. He knew it was far from ideal, but it was all anyone could do. "Half the team is unconscious!"

James nodded and turned his focus to Jayden. The red Ranger was lying on a thin mat on the floor and being looked after by Antonio. James had been forced to let a very injured and tired Jayden into battle to help Kevin when the all-eating Nighlok had returned to the city. Fighting the Nighlok, and forming what Kevin described as the most powerful Megazord in the Samurai arsenal had taken everything out of Jayden. He was expected to recover, but no one knew how long it would be.

"I think it's disinfected," James heard Serena whisper and he pulled the cotton ball away from her cut and bandaged it.

"I'm really sorry, guys," he whispered. "I know this sucks, but whatever happens, whatever this means, you guys…"

"I'm going to bed," Serena said, "I have school tomorrow."

"… need to stick together," James muttered as Serena walked off to her room, and she took Terran with her. James got up and walked over to Antonio and Jayden. He knelt down next to the couple and placed his hand on Antonio's shoulder, "You get some sleep. I'll wake you up the moment anything happens. I'll wake all of you up the moment anything happens."

"You have school," Mike said, "You go to sleep. Go home, get out…"

"I can afford a sick day," James said, "I'm not leaving you guys. Not like this. Get some sleep. Maybe things will be better in the morning."


	97. Serrator's Visit

Things weren't better in the morning and Serena had to leave for work with no news of progress on Mia, Emily, or even Jayden.

She sat in the cafeteria during first period, poking away on a breakfast one of the other teachers had insisted she eat. Since she started hanging out with James at school, she had formed some friendships with a few of the other teachers on staff, especially the gym teachers. They had seen her walking into school looking miserable and tried to ask what was wrong. Serena wouldn't explain, and they noticed she wouldn't eat. One of them heard her stomach grumbling and was kind enough to buy her a meal from the cafeteria.

"Turn of events, I see," Principal Stevens announced as he walked into the cafeteria. All the other teachers were in class or taking their planning time in their offices, leaving Serena to eat her meal on her own. Stevens sat down across the Serena at the table, "You're here, and you'll probably be covering from why Coach Smith is absent."

"He's sick," Serena shrugged.

Stevens had been a kind man, once Serena got him to come out of his office more often to check up on his students. He was firm but fair, and his discipline had helped Serena tame the school. When she got his bullying problem under control for him, she felt he had started to idolize her. But her Samurai life back home couldn't be put on hold for her career and she had been forced to take too many unexplained days off. If it were up to Stevens, she would have been fired from his school, but voices stronger than his own insisted she keep her job. Stevens knew someone was looking out for her in the school board, and he wasn't happy she was getting special treatment. Their relationship had cooled off quite a bit; to the point where Serena wouldn't even consider Stevens to be an acquaintance, just that guy that she worked with.

"At least he had the decency to phone," Stevens said. Serena clutched her fork. After the weekend she had had it took everything and more not to plunge the plastic utensil into his neck. "But sick, after a long weekend?"

"It was Easter," Serena muttered, "He had a big dinner and got food poisoning. Why do you care anyways? It's one day. I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow and…"

"I don't care," Stevens shook his head, "Obviously I care he's sick, but this is the first sick day he's taken all year, unlike you. What bothers me about his absence is you."

"Me?"

"Several teachers called my office. They told me I should keep an eye on you. It seems your friends are worried about you. For you to be so down and depressed on the same day your boyfriend is sick for the first time…"

"James and I don't do everything together," Serena muttered. She resisted the urge to jump out of her seat, toss her tray at the principal, and scream at him everything that was wrong with her life right now. "Maybe I have a family of my own. Have you ever…"

"Ah, yes," Stevens nodded, "Your little sister. The one who did the speech condemning bullying, and then she punched young Howie in the face. How is your little monster doing?"

Serena's jaw clenched. No one outside the Shiba House could refer to Emily as a little monster. When the Samurai said it, it was a fun, affectionate term. Emily was sweet and innocent. At first glance, people always assumed she would never hurt a fly, and it was the truth for the most part, but whenever Serena, or even Mike, were in trouble, Emily's personality shifted completely. She was turned into a monster ready to defend her friends and family no matter what it took.

When people outside the house called her a monster, Serena knew they were completely ignorant of who her little sister really was. They called her a monster because that's what they thought she truly was.

"Considering she was kidnapped by one of your students…"

"One of our students," Stevens corrected Serena. "A student you should have had your eye on. That is your job. Of course, if you were here…"

Serena threw her tray at Stevens' face and stood up, "Wow, you're a huge dick, you know that?"

"Serena!"

"But you know what? I take sick days. I'm absent from your little school a lot more than I should be. But I work for the school board, not you. So until they decide to fire me, you're going to put up with me and my crazy life, just like I have to."

"Serena…"

"By the way, my _little monster_ isn't doing very well. It seems there are more dicks in her life than there are in mine, and instead of being by her side, I have to come here to please you! I've abandoned my sister when she needs me, for an ass like you!"

"Serena!"

"Shut up!" Serena screamed and stormed out of the cafeteria just as the bell rang, marking the end of the first period.

Stevens sighed and pulled the tater tots from his sweater, "That could have gone a little better," he muttered. Behind him, he heard someone clapping slowly and he turned around. His heart froze in his chest.

-Samurai-

After spending all night with the girls, Ji finally came out of their bedroom. He had seen no improvement from them at all, and because he had no idea what drug had been used on them, he had no idea what to do except try to flush it out and hope for the best.

He walked to the kitchen and started on a coffee. He normally drank tea in the morning, but he would need something stronger. Antonio walked into the room as he started the coffee maker. Ji could see that Antonio would need the coffee just as much as he did. He pulled out two mugs from the cabinets and set them on the counter. Antonio looked over to him while taking a seat at the table. Ji forced a smile.

"How is he?"

Antonio knew he was asking about Jayden. Ji had to stay close to the girls because of the unknown drugs and didn't get a chance to check up on Jayden at all. The only reason he was out of the bedroom now was because James had offered to keep his eyes on the girls while Ji take a few minutes for himself.

Antonio shrugged his shoulders, "He's sleeping, so…"

"Do not worry too much about him," Ji said, hoping his words could be of some comfort. Despite James' insistence that the Rangers get some sleep, Antonio looked like he hadn't slept a wink. He was obviously very worried about Jayden, as any good boyfriend would be. "Jayden has always been…"

Ji trailed off. He couldn't find the right word to use. He wanted to tell Antonio Jayden was unstoppable, but that had been what gotten him into this mess and made his condition worse. Even with his injuries and his body telling him to take it easy during recovery, Jayden had still piloted the most powerful Samurai Megazord with only Kevin to help.

"Keep him comfortable," Ji said instead. "Jayden loves you very much. I'm sure your presence at his side is more than enough for him right now. In time, he will be back to normal."

Antonio nodded. Ji set the mug of coffee in front of him. Antonio wrapped his hands around the mug and sighed. He then looked up to Ji with a small smile.

"It means a lot to me, Mentor," he said, "I mean, how you're okay with this. I know we talked about this before, but… you being okay with me and Jayden… it's a big deal."

"Why would I not be okay with it?" Ji asked, "While I have worked Jayden hard his entire life, I have wanted nothing more than his happiness. Should he find that with a woman, with you, or with any other man… all that matters to me is that Jayden gets the life he wants, and the life he deserves."

Antonio smiled, "You could have stepped it up a little sooner when your dad arrived, Mentor, but… you're a great mentor, and a great father."

"I appreciate that, Antonio."

"So does Jayden," Antonio took the coffee as he got up, "Thank you."

-Samurai-

Principal Stevens could not believe this was happening. There was a real monster here inside his school right in the middle of the day with the classes full of students.

"H-how d-d-d-did you g-get…" he stammered as he stumbled back, trying to get as far away from the monster as possible. The Nighlok pointed to a vent in the wall.

"You would be surprised just how many places as connected to the Netherworld," he said and he took a seat on one of the chairs, "I am Serrator."

"W-what do you want?"

"I'm collecting recruits," Serrator said.

Stevens shook his head and trembled in fear, "This is a school… these are s-s-students… you can't… I won't let you…"

"Pathetic," Serrator shrugged. Stevens knew he didn't sound very confident or convincing. He wanted to protect the students, but above that, he wanted to run and save his own life. The only thing keeping him in the school was his fear. If he ran, he was scared Serrator would hurt him. Serrator chuckled, "I already have my recruits. Unfortunately, one of them is missing something important. I've come here to ask it be returned."

"In case you haven't noticed, this is a school," Serrator heard a voice from behind and turned around. He saw Serena standing in the doorway. She had been in the halls when he appeared and instantly cleared the students out. She sent them into classrooms and had the teachers lock them safely inside. She wanted to get them out of the school completely, but had no idea what awaited them outside the school walls. Serrator could have come alone, or he could have brought an army with him. Serena cracked her knuckles. After the weekend she had had, she was more than ready for a fight, "You're not going to find anything of use here."

"Serena?" Stevens asked, looking to Serena as though she was insane. He had to wonder who would challenge a monster singlehandedly.

"Now would be a really good time to save yourself, asshole," Serena muttered to the principal. He took her advice in a heartbeat and raced right out of the cafeteria, never looking back. Serena rolled her eyes and even Serrator chuckled.

"It seems not everyone was born a hero."

"True colours, huh?" Serena nodded. She pulled out her Samuraizer and created a sword, "Now, what do you want?"

"Urumasa," Serrator told her. "Your Rangers are weak and I have… let's say hired Dekker and Dayu. I've promised them all they desire if they work for me for some time."

"And they believed you?" Serena asked, "I think we both know not to trust a Nighlok."

"Dayu had nothing to lose," Serrator nodded, "and Dekker… I promised him answers. That symbol your sister used…"

"Don't talk about her," Serena clutched her sword tightly. Serrator smirked.

"I hear she's still in bed," he said, "Recovering from a…"

"Shut up!"

"Red and Pink are in no better condition," Serrator said, "Which works out well for me. Hand over Urumasa, or I will come and claim it."

"Never trust a Nighlok," Serena repeated, "Why should I do as you say? I'll be burned. The Rangers…"

"Will be in danger, regardless," Serrator nodded, "I admit, there really is no benefit for you or the Samurai in the long run, but would you rather face an attack now, with your team so weak, or wait for me to get my warriors up to speed? Perhaps, by then…"

"I don't have Urumasa anyways," Serena said, "It's hidden…"

"Find it," Serrator told her. "Find it and set it just outside the security symbols around your home tonight. If I don't have it in my hands…"

"What are you going to do?" Serena asked. "You can't attack the house. You can't get into the yard…"

"But we both know Dayu and Dekker can," Serrator smirked. "And I'm sure Dayu would love putting an end to the pink Ranger while she was…"

"Fine," Serena muttered, "I'll get you Urumasa. Just leave the Samurai out of this."

"I knew we could reach an understanding," Serrator smiled and disappeared back into the vents, sucked in by a Gap. Serena put her sword and her Samuraizer away and kicked a chair. She stormed out of the cafeteria and made an announcement to all the students and staff that the monster was gone and the school was safe. Students started racing from the classrooms and they ran for the doors, wanting to run as far away as possible. Serena took a seat in one of the secretary's chairs and held her head in her hand until she heard footsteps.

"Well, this is ideal for you," she looked up and saw Principal Stevens was back. Apparently he hadn't run very far. Just far enough to leave her as bait for Serrator, which she didn't appreciate. She knew she stood a better chance against Serrator than everyone in the school combined, but Stevens didn't know that.

"What is?"

"School's closed," Stevens said, "A monster turned up. Do you think classes are going to resume? Parents will be livid! Terrified! No one's coming back to school for weeks."

Serena slammed her fists against the desk, "And I'm happy?"

"You have a couple weeks of vacation…"

"I just saved your ass!" Serena screamed. "I've been bending over backwards for you and this school since the day I arrived here! I've been attacked by students, mocked by staff, had an emergency birth, should still be on maternity leave, technically, I've solved the bullying problem you let get out of hand, and now, a monster turns up, and while you're running in the other direction, I'm doing all I can to keep you and the students safe, and I'm the bad guy? I couldn't care less about vacation or what this school does!"

"Your job is to…"

"I know my job! And even with my shitty attendance, I'm doing a much better job than you!" Serena stomped over to the door, "I'm getting out of here."

"Starting your vacation now, I see…"

Serena froze in her tracks and slowly turned around to Stevens. She glared at him angrily.

"Going to visit my sister," Serena said and she chose her words carefully. She needed to stick to the truth and lie at the same time, and while doing that, she wanted to make sure her words made Stevens feel like the prick he was. "Do you want to know my I've been taking so many sick days? Unannounced sick days?"

"Yes, please…"

"My sister's sick," Serena said, "and right now, we have no idea what's happened or what's going to happen," she was twisting the truth quite a bit, but she didn't care. She couldn't tell him the full truth anyways.

"How sick?" Stevens rolled his eyes, "A cough isn't enough of a reason for you to…"

"I wouldn't be surprised if I go home to hear she's dead," Serena muttered. Stevens' expression changed completely when he heard that.

"You're kidding…"

Serena shook her head, "The one thing I never kid about is illnesses," she growled, "Enjoy your vacation, Stevens," she slammed the door as she left.

She got into the parking lot and pulled the keys to James' car from her bag. She and the principal hadn't been on good terms lately, but now he had really pissed her off. She didn't regret a word of what she said to him.

She got home and found the house was the same as she had left it, with everyone either hiding in the common room or in the bedroom. She walked right into Ji's room and opened his closet.

She had heard the story. After she had thrown Urumasa into the water, the Rangers had been forced to retrieve it. Urumasa had been separated from Dekker and was looking for a new master when Emily got to close. It chose her and tried to use her to get the battle it wanted from Jayden. Fortunately, Emily had been too good for the sword and put up a fight of her own, forcing Urumasa to give up on her. Ji had taken Urumasa and locked it up in a safe in his room. Urumasa couldn't claim a new master unless he was touched, and keeping it close meant the Rangers always knew it wasn't causing destruction or torturing another soul.

Grabbing one of Ji's pillow cases, she opened the safe and picked Urumasa up. When the Samurai found out what she did she would be in so much trouble, but she couldn't risk Dekker and Dayu attacking the house. Not now.

"If you screw me over, Serrator, I'll kill you personally," Serena closed the safe and made sure Ji's room looked like it hadn't been touched. She carried Urumasa in the pillow case and made sure it didn't touch her once, or that the others didn't see her, until she got outside. She stepped out of the Gates and set the sword on the ground.

She could hear Urumasa calling out to her and promising her all the things she wanted. She knew that was how he pulled his masters in and turned them into his slaves. Occasionally, when the house was really quiet, she could hear his calls from the safe and she had learned to ignore them.

She turned around to get back into the house before Serrator turned up but heard leaves crunching from the forest. She looked over her shoulder and saw Serrator handling Urumasa.

"But you said…"

"I created this sword," Serrator told her, "It has no power over me. And I chose Dekker for a reason."

"You're the Nighlok who…" Serena shook her head, "You know what, never mind. Just take the sword and leave the Samurai alone."

"You should have known that deal was too good to be true," Serrator smirked, "However, because you cooperated and delivered the sword so quickly…" Serrator held out his hand. Serena saw two bottles. He set them on the ground, "Antidote."

"For what?"

"Pink and yellow Rangers, of course."

"But you don't even…"

"If you choose not to use it," Serrator interrupted, "that is up to you, but this is my gift to you."

With that, Serrator retreated back into the woods. Serena picked up the two bottles. She had no intention of using them, at least not until she talked to the others, but she couldn't leave them out in the forest.

"James is right," Serena muttered, "I do have a death wish…"


	98. Serrator's Antidote

Serena twirled the two bottled in her hands while the boys discussed what they were going to do with the antidote. Of course they were very reluctant about using them knowing they were gifts from Serrator, but it needed to be considered. Mia and Emily were showing no signs of progress from the drugs Harada had given them, and if Serrator was getting involved again in the battles, the Rangers needed them back to full strength as soon as possible.

Serena, while explaining how she got the antidote, had left out the part about giving Serrator Urumasa. She couldn't tell the others just yet.

Antonio was upset there were only two bottles and had to remind himself that Jayden's condition could only be cured with time. He hadn't been poisoned like the girls and his body could heal itself. Still, Antonio was frustrated the girls were getting an easy out, if the antidote really was the cure.

"I think the question now is can we trust Serrator?" James asked. He felt like he was the only one thinking clearly. Kevin and Mike both wanted Mia and Emily to recover quickly, and wanted to believe the antidote would work, but they also didn't want to risk being tricked by Serrator. One minute, they were all for trying out the antidote and seeing what would happen, the next they were against it completely. Ji was being cautious as usual, and he was considering the pros and cons to using and not using the antidote. Serena just sat with the bottles in her hands, silent as ever. James wasn't sure what was going on in her head, "Serrator seems to like challenges and messing with you guys. On one hand, he could genuinely be trying to help us out, just to get you guys back into shape quickly so he can take you out at your strongest. If he did, it would be more of a victory. On the other hand, he could be telling you it's a cure when really…"

"It's the opposite," Ji nodded his head, "This is not a decision that can be made lightly. This is life or death for the girls and their fate rests in our hands."

"Please don't mention death," Kevin sighed. He looked around the room, "What are the odds that Mia and Emily recover on their own?"

Ji shrugged his shoulders, "I don't know. The drug Harada used was his own creation. We should consider ourselves lucky they are still alive now."

While the Samurai went over the pros and cons one more time, Jayden started to stir in the corner of the room and his eyes fluttered open. The harsh ceiling lights blinded him for a moment, but he was quickly able to open his eyes and look around.

He remembered everything that happened to him right up until he fell unconscious inside the Gigazord. He knew it had been risky to jump into battle, but it was a risk he needed to take, and he could see it had paid off. He was back home, and the familiar voices of his friends told him everything was back to normal. He sat up and in a flash his teammates were by his side.

"Take it easy," Antonio told him. The gold Ranger held him up supportively and in a warm hug. Jayden smiled and wrapped his arm around Antonio. He gave his boyfriend a kiss then looked to the others.

"How long have I been out for?"

"A day," Kevin answered, "How are you feeling?"

"Tired. Sore."

"But you're okay?" Antonio asked. He looked Jayden up and down for anything concerning. Jayden's chest was still slightly red and swollen from Shin's attack, but aside from that his body was healing. "You've been pretty out for it for a while. We thought you wouldn't wake up for at least another couple of days."

"Never count me out," Jayden smiled. With Antonio's help he was on his feet and the Samurai walked back to their stools. Jayden sat down and Antonio sat with him, never letting go once. Jayden didn't like being coddled, but appreciated how worried Antonio must have been. He leaned into his boyfriend as though he needed the extra support, but really it was all to keep Antonio calm.

Jayden looked around the room with a smile, "So, I see you've won back the house."

"It wasn't easy," Ji said, "and unfortunately I had to push my family away, possibly forever but you Samurai are all… safe."

"Safe and sound is what I like to hear," Jayden smiled and he looked around again. He noticed two people were missing. "Hey, where are Emily and Mia?"

No one answered right away, making Jayden worry. Mia and Emily were the only two Samurai left with Shin and the mentors as far as Jayden knew.

Serena suddenly stood up and walked over to Jayden. She held the bottles out for him to see.

"Don't ask any questions; just tell me yes or no."

"What's this?" Jayden asked. Serena pulled the bottles away.

"Yes or no. If you were dying and we were given an antidote, would you want us to use it on you despite the risks?"

"It's worth a try, right?" Jayden answered, though he had no idea what he was saying or agreeing too. Serena reacted quickly to his answer. She tossed one of the bottles over to Kevin and suddenly raced out of the room. Mike was up like a bullet as he chased after her.

"Serena, wait!" he shouted.

Kevin looked down at the bottle in his hands and then jumped up and followed Mike and Serena to the bedroom. When he got to the room he saw Serena putting the antidote into a syringe while Mike was cautioning her to think about what she was about to do. Antonio, Ji, James, and Jayden walked in behind Kevin, watching and waiting to see what would happen.

"I want to take the risk," Serena said to Mike, "I've been taking risks all day today, so why not…?"

"With Emily's life?" Mike asked her, "Serena, please think about this. You can't trust Serrator. The minute you inject that into Emily…"

"It'll kill her or cure her. Either way, this is the end. Jayden was right…"

"Whoa, whoa, wait," Jayden frowned, "What's going on? What was I right about? What happened to them?"

Mike sighed and turned to Jayden for a moment to explain. Serena saw he wasn't watching her and she injected Emily with the antidote while praying it would work. When she emptied the syringe she pulled it out and took her sister's hand. She clutched it tightly and continued to pray.

"Hand it over," Mike suddenly told her as he held his arm out. Serena looked in his eyes and then down at the syringe. He hadn't seen her use it. She grabbed it and placed it in his hand. Mike wrapped his hand around it before he could see it was empty and nodded his head, "I don't care what you think, Serena. It's agreed. We don't trust Serrator. We're not using it."

Mike started to push on the top of the syringe to squeeze the antidote out but he felt it was already pushed. To his horror he realized the antidote had already been used. He turned to Serena and glared at her.

"Hold me back," he told the boys, "or I'm going to do something that'll get me arrested."

"Just give it another minute," Serena insisted, "Nothing's happened yet..."

"And nothing better happen or Terran will be orphaned!" Mike shouted. Ji placed his hand on the green Ranger's shoulder and pulled him back.

"There's nothing we can do," he told Mike, "We will wait in the common room."

"Dojo," Mike growled and stormed off. No matter the outcome he would never forget this. Ji was right behind him. He knew Mike's temper could rise to the point where it was uncontrollable and he didn't want to see Mike do something he would regret later.

Kevin walked to Mia's bed and took a seat next to her. He held her hand gently in his and stared at the antidote. Now it wasn't a question of whether or not Serrator could be trusted because if the antidote hurt Emily he would never use it on Mia. Now it was a question of what would it do.

"Serena," Jayden called to the earth Samurai, "When I said…"

"You were right," Serena nodded. "If Emily could choose, she would want us to try. She'd be scared, but she would have let me do it."

"Are you sure?" Jayden asked her.

"Positive. And now I'm not leaving her. Sorry, Kevin."

Kevin nodded his head. Since Ji had to look after both girls the easiest place to put them both was in Mia and Kevin's room, with the beds pulled apart, leaving Kevin with nowhere to sleep as Emily lay in his bed.

"My room is your room," Kevin told her. He didn't care. He didn't want to leave Mia.

"What about Terran?" James asked her. "He needs his mommy."

"Bring him in?" Serena asked. James sighed but went to do as he was told.

Antonio gave Jayden a very light tap on the back, "You should rest some more."

Jayden sighed but nodded his head. He hated being looked after, but he couldn't deny a little more rest. Five minutes awake and he was already exhausted. As they walked out, James came back with Terran. He set the baby down on the bed between Serena and Emily. James then grabbed a chair and took a seat.

"You guys might be in for a long wait."

-Samurai-

They did wait for hours until eventually they all fell asleep as they started to think the antidote wasn't really anything at all, just a placebo.

After nearly four months of waking up to a screaming son, Serena's ears were so tuned to his cries she could hear him from almost anywhere in the house even in her sleep. His crying woke her up but it sounded distant, like it was coming from another room. Serena just assumed someone had come to take him after she had fallen asleep so she lifted her head from the pillow and threw off the blankets. She couldn't remember slipping into the bed and under the blankets, but assumed James had tucked her in once she fell asleep. He always draped a blanket over her when she slept on his couch.

Remembering she was in Mia and Kevin's room to look after her sister, she turned her check to check up on Emily. The bed was empty.

"Emy?" Serena jumped out of bed and spun around the room. Emily and Terran were both gone. Serena's heart stopped. Terran's cries settled, but Serena couldn't tell if he had been satisfied or if he was just out of earshot, "Emily!" Serena screamed loudly, waking up the room as she ran out. She raced to the common room and saw there was no one there. In the dojo, Mike was sleeping under a thin blanket after having passed out from his workout. Serena called her sister's name again and ran for the kitchen. She heard James and Kevin running behind her. After her screams and Emily missing from her bed, they wanted to help Serena.

They bumped right into Serena when they reached the kitchen. She had stopped unexpectedly and the boys couldn't help running right into her.

"Serena…" James whispered and followed her gaze as she stared into the kitchen. There was Emily, up and about, feeding Terran his bottle like nothing had happened.

The moment Kevin saw Emily was okay nothing mattered except helping Mia. He turned around and darted into his bedroom.

James closed Serena's mouth as she stared at Emily. To Serena, it seemed like hours passed before Emily noticed her, but when Emily did, she set Terran down on the table and jumped into her sister's arms. James had to rush over to Terran and pick him up, but he was happy to see everything was okay.

"You're finally awake!" Emily hugged her sister tight. Serena nodded her head and laughed as she set Emily down.

"Why didn't you wake me up, squirt?" Serena asked and ruffled her sister's hair, "I was worried sick!"

"You were worried?" Emily looked very confused to Serena but then shook she shook her head and hugged Serena again, "I like this place better than the hospital."

Serena pushed her sister away, "What?"

Emily looked to the floor nervously, "Well, mom and dad didn't want me hearing this, but I overheard them talking with you about going to a new hospital."

"Mom and dad?" Serena frowned, "Emily, we haven't…"

"Serena, let her talk," James interrupted. Emily gave him a smile and then looked to Serena.

"You three were talking about going to a new hospital, or coming home. I wish you had chosen to come home, but this place feels homey. I have one complaint though."

"What's that?" Serena asked and swallowed the lump in her throat as she nodded to James. He suddenly raced from the room.

"Kevin!"

Emily continued with her sister, "Why are you sharing a room with that other lady and her baby? And why was her baby in bed with you? You're sick, Serena, you shouldn't be near babies. I think he'll be fine, but you should have the doctors move you into your own room."

"You're right," Serena nodded and pulled her sister into a hug, hiding her tears.


	99. Day One

James got to Mia and Kevin's bedroom but it was already too late. After seeing Emily up and about like nothing had happened, Kevin needed to give Mia the antidote. James wasn't sure if it was the antidote's doing or the drugs that Harada had given Emily, but he had to warn Kevin before the blue Ranger did anything to compromise Mia's recovery. But as Kevin pulled out the syringe, James groaned. He sat down on Kevin's bed with Terran in his lap. Kevin looked to him confused.

"You look like you were…"

"Trying to stop you," James nodded.

Kevin suddenly grew very concerned, "Why? What happened? Is Emily okay? This isn't…"

"Emily's fine, but…" James got up and asked Kevin to follow him. It would be a while still before the antidote had any effect. Kevin had a few hours before he needed to be by Mia's side. With James, Kevin walked down the hall to Serena's room. James signalled for Kevin to stay by the door and stay quiet while they watched Emily tuck Serena into bed. Kevin frowned at the sight and was about to ask what was going on, but James hushed him.

"You'll be more comfortable in here," Emily told her sister as she fluffed Serena's pillows for her. "I guess you already are, though. You're not coughing anymore. The fresh air must be helping. Imagine how good you'll feel when you're better and they let you come home. You're going to get better, right?"

"Hopefully one day, Emy," Serena nodded her head and while Emily turned away she looked to James and Kevin. She had no idea what to do except go along with whatever Emily said. Serena had a theory of what happened, but didn't want to be right. Unfortunately, she couldn't ignore just how familiar this was. The conversation Emily had overheard between her and her parents had taken place years ago. It was a conversation Serena had had with her parents just after learning the illness was terminal. When Serena knew she was going to die, she had been given two options. Going to another hospital closer to home where her parents and sister would have an easier time visiting her was the first, and going home and dying there was the second. Serena had chosen the latter, and yet, for some reason, Emily was back in that time, and because she couldn't recognize the Shiba House as her home, she believed Serena had chosen the first.

"Where is it?" Emily muttered as she searched through her backpack, "None of this is my stuff!"

Serena turned back to her sister and cleared her throat, pushing back her tears, "What are you looking for, Emy?"

"I have a reading assignment I have to do for class and mom promised she would help me, but I haven't seen her all day so I thought, while you're up, you can help me," Emily tossed the bag back on the floor. "My book's not in here anyways."

"You don't have a reading assignment," Serena told her. "You're not in school, Emy. Not…"

"Yes, I am," Emily nodded her head. "Why wouldn't I be going to school?"

"Emily, we pulled you out of school."

"I was in class yesterday," Emily shook her head, "I was in class, and last night mom and I were working on my reading assignment… why would mom make me read if she was pulling me out of school?"

Emily picked up the bag again and searched through it, "My book has to be in here. I put it in my bag. Why does my bag have clothes? Whose clothes are these?"

"Emily…"

"Where's my book?"

"You don't have a book, Emily!"

"Yes I do!" Emily stomped her feet, "I have a book! I brought it here with me! I remember putting it in my bag and… I put it in my bag and… what did I do after…?"

Serena got out of bed and took the bag from Emily's hand. Emily suddenly pushed her.

"You're sick!" she screamed. "You're supposed to be sick! That's why you're in the hospital! You need to stay in bed!"

"Emily…"

"In bed!" Emily pushed Serena again and looked around the room. She couldn't remember driving to this new hospital. In fact, she couldn't remember anything at after putting her book in her bag that morning. She should have remembered going to school, then being picked up by her dad to see Serena at the hospital, but she couldn't remember any of that.

"Emily, when Mentor wakes up…"

"Who's Mentor? Serena… when did I get here?"

"Emy…"

"Am I sick too?" Emily asked and looked up at her sister in horror, "I can't…"

"You're not sick," Serena shook her head and hugged Emily.

"Then what happened?"

"Guys," Serena looked to the boys, "Can I have a minute with Emily?"

James and Kevin nodded their head and closed Serena's bedroom door. Kevin rubbed his face with his hand.

"The antidote…"

"Or the drug," James sighed; "Now we won't know."

"Maybe that won't happen to Mia," Kevin said. "Maybe… maybe the drug, whichever one, works differently depending on the person."

"Maybe," James nodded his head, "but someone should be with Mia when she wakes up. If she does turn out like Emily and there's no one around…"

"What if she doesn't remember me?" Kevin asked, "What if she never remembers me?"

"Never's a long time," James sighed. He gave Kevin a pat on the back, "but you made her fall in love with you once, right?"

Kevin nodded his head. James led him to the common room, "We should tell the others."

-Samurai-

Serena tip-toed out of her bedroom and silently walked to the common room. Trying to make sense of her sister's condition had been a battle for her and a battle for Emily, and one that hadn't been won yet. From what Serena could figure out, Emily had forgotten everything since basically after overhearing her parent's conversation about Serena's illness. Emily could remember her sister was sick, very sick, but in her mind, she hadn't yet been told Serena's illness had been terminal.

When Serena tried to explain anything to Emily, Emily lost it, and the more Serena tried to explain, the more Emily worked herself up until she finally passed out, asleep in Serena's bed.

The minute Serena's foot stepped on the common room floor she was struck by a symbol and Mentor's bonsai pinned her to the wall.

"You did this!" Mike screamed at her, "I told you not to give her the antidote!"

"Mike, let her go," Ji demanded. Mike did as he was told and recalled the symbols but his anger didn't die. He glared at Serena and she could see he wanted to hit her. Mentor sighed, "Michael, take a seat. Remember, we're not sure which drug had caused this… condition. The antidote may still have been a good decision. Unfortunately, we will never know."

"The only thing keeping you alive right now is Emily," Mike growled to Serena. "You're the only one she remembers, right?"

"She has no idea where she is or who you guys are," Serena nodded her head sadly. She took a seat on her stool and sighed, "This is frustrating…"

"At least she still remembers you," Mike muttered. "What's she going to say when I tell her we're engaged?"

"You will do no such thing," Ji shook his head and Serena agreed.

"She freaked out when I told her she was at the Shiba House… and I didn't even tell her why. She refused to believe me for the longest time, too. She keep looking for a book…"

"So, I can't tell my fiancée that we're…" Mike trailed off and pounded his fists into his cushion before jumping to his feet. Despite all of his therapy, Serena and Emily's condition were pushing him far beyond his limits of self-control, but he knew he couldn't blow up. He knew he couldn't get angry. Whether Emily remembered it or not, he had made a promise to her.

At that moment she walked into the common room. Everyone watched her as she walked right by them, refusing to look any of them in the eyes. She didn't know them.

"Emy," Serena called, "Where are you going?"

"You said I'm at the Shiba House, right? I want to train."

"But, Em…"

"You should be in bed," Emily crossed her arms over her chest. Serena sighed. This was another fight she had with Emily. She couldn't convince her sister she had recovered from her illness. No matter how many times she told Emily she was okay and that she had a spontaneous recovery, Emily wouldn't believe her. Emily was convinced she was lying to protect her. Serena figured that was justified. The first year of her illness Serena had lied about it to protect her.

"I'll go to bed if I start feeling sick, I promise," she said. Emily rolled her eyes but she took it. She gave the boys another look, hoping she could remember something about any of them, but couldn't and sighed. She walked outside to start training. If she couldn't remember where she was, who she was living with, and how she had gotten here, she wanted to see what level her Samurai training was at. She couldn't disappoint Serena.

There was a long silence after she left, which Kevin used to think about what he would do when Mia woke up. Though he didn't want Emily to suffer alone, the thought of Mia forgetting everything about the last few years, including him and their engagement, terrified him. He hung on to the hope that James was right. He had made Mia fall in love with him once, and he could do it again.

Just then the Samurai heard a thump from Mia and Kevin's bedroom. Kevin jumped out of his seat but Ji grabbed his shoulder and sat him back down.

"Mia has no friends from her past," Ji told him. "Either she will remember us all, or she will know no one. I will go and welcome her to the Shiba House."

"It'll be the easiest transition for her," James nodded as he looked to Kevin, "She knew she was supposed to come here, right?"

Kevin sighed as Ji walked away. He couldn't believe this was happening.

"Maybe this will only be temporary," Antonio spoke up. "I mean, Emily hasn't lost everything. She's still the same yellow Ranger, right? She just… doesn't remember being a Samurai."

"She doesn't even remember my illness was terminal," Serena sighed and looked out the window. Despite not remembering a thing from the last few years, Emily's training didn't seem to suffer one bit. Serena shook her head, "Her memory stops just before mom and dad told her… wait."

"What?" Mike asked, looking up.

Serena smiled, "She doesn't remember. She doesn't remember me dying, she doesn't remember mom leaving. She doesn't remember my relationship with Dekker…"

"She doesn't remember Terran," Mike said. "She doesn't remember me…"

"But this could be a good thing," Serena said, "Emily's been through a lot. She's been through some stuff that she wishes she could forget. Now she does."

"Serena…"

"This is a good thing," Serena smiled, "She doesn't have to suffer anymore. She's the same old Emily…"

"Exactly," James said, "the same_ old_ Emily."

"And what's wrong with that?" Serena asked. "She's Emily without all the bad stuff. Wait! That's even better. She's a better Emily."

"But…"

"I'm right," Serena stated and stood up. "From now on, for Emily's sake, we just move on."

"Serena…"

"Lalalalala," Serena pressed her hands against her ears as she walked out of the room. As far as she was concerned, this conversation was done.

As she left for her room, Ji walked into the common room with Mia. As he gave her a tour of the room, explaining what the common room was to be used for while she was in the Shiba House, his eyes met Kevin's and he nodded his head to let him know Mia suffered the same problem as Emily. She didn't remember.

"Why don't I remember coming here?" Mia asked and looked up to Ji. "I didn't say goodbye to my grandmother or my parents…. do they even know I'm here?"

"They are aware," Ji promised her. "You took a pretty rough beating in your first fight. Your memory of arriving might be a little hazy."

"Try non-existent," Mia sighed.

"If you feel you need some practice," Ji pointed outside, "the yellow Ranger is already outside training. You should go introduce yourself."

Mia rolled her eyes and walked to the front door. If she had gotten so badly beaten in her first fight, she was going to need all the practice she could get. As Mia walked out, Ji sat down on his stool. He looked to the boys, "I take it you understand what I told Mia."

"It's day one," Kevin nodded his head sadly, "She thinks we've just arrived."

"All is not lost," Ji promised the Samurai. "With time and patience this will all seem much less daunting."

"But you're not promising it'll go away," Antonio noticed.

Ji nodded, "Harada's drug was new and untested. Serrator's… we have no idea what he gave us. We don't know what we're facing and have no way of telling what lies ahead. For now, we take this one day at a time."

"This is day one," James announced.


	100. Memories and Lies

"Are you sure you're…"

"Antonio, please stop fussing over me," Jayden sighed. While he understood he was still badly injured and he knew Antonio had been very worried for him, Jayden had had enough coddling. He knew he had to take it easy and was going to do exactly that, but he couldn't stand another minute of Antonio's fussing.

"But…"

"I'll be fine," Jayden promised, "and I'll take it easy, I swear, but you have to let me get back into a normal routine. Or at least let me walk to the bathroom by myself."

Antonio took a deep breath and then nodded his head. He let Jayden get up out of bed so he could walk to the bathroom. Antonio sat up while he waited and played with his hands.

Mia and Emily had been introduced to everyone, but the change of atmosphere in the Shiba House was still very noticeable and somewhat disturbing. While Antonio could carry on with most of his relationships like usual, he constantly had to be careful of what he said and how he acted around Mia and Emily. At this point, he knew them better than they knew themselves, but he had to pretend like they had just met. It was a hard thing to cope with, and as frustrating as it was for him, Antonio knew he had it the easiest in the house. Unfortunately, that only made him worry more.

Ji was still very much Ji, but if his father and his siblings had taught him anything it was how much he had grown to love and care for the Samurai. He had long ago begun to consider them his children, but that bond he felt with them had grown much stronger, and now it had suddenly been torn away from him in with Mia and Emily. He couldn't get close to them without them taking a few steps back. He was, after all, only their mentor. His job was to take care of the house, assist them in training, and keep them informed on the Nighlok. Nothing more. It hurt Ji to have to stay so far away emotionally when all he wanted to do was protect them.

James had been affected by Emily's memory loss. Emily was still trying to figure out Serena's illness and whether or not her older sister was still sick. As far as Emily was concerned, her sister had just come out of the hospital and didn't have a boyfriend. Serena couldn't explain her relationship with James without confusing Emily and causing another freak out, so James was simply an extra hand around the Shiba House. He wasn't a Samurai or a mentor, but he was still a part of the Shiba House.

Mike and Kevin were obviously both very affected by their fiancées' memory loss. Emily and Mia couldn't remember meeting the blue and green Rangers, and thus had no memory of falling in love. When Mia had seen the engagement ring on her finger she had had her first freak out and immediately pulled it off her hand and threw it away. The boys spent hours searching for it after Mia went to bed and eventually found it, but the ring meant nothing to Kevin unless it was on Mia's hand. He took it, then instantly stuffed it away in a drawer. Emily hadn't discovered her ring, and when she went to bed Mike snuck into her room and reluctantly pulled it off and kept it on his person for safe keeping.

The boys hated their one sided relationships, but they were going to take James' advice. The girls had fallen in love with them once, and regardless of their memory loss, they were still the same people. If Kevin and Mike couldn't make Mia and Emily remember falling in love, they were going to have to make them fall in love all over again. It was the only hope they hung on to, and for their sakes, Antonio hoped it would work.

Serena was also upset, but had convinced herself this was a good thing. Antonio couldn't deny Emily had had a rough couple of years. Her life had already been full of hardship before she came to the Shiba House, and it had only gotten harder when she became a Samurai. She had plenty of bad memories Serena was happy were gone, but she was ignoring the good memories Emily had made. She was determined not to let Emily remember, despite all the changes she would have to make to keep her sister in the dark.

But the person Antonio worried about the most was Jayden. Antonio knew Jayden would find a way to blame himself for this, and would work himself too hard trying to get the team back to normal and back to full strength. But, like Mia and Emily, Jayden had been seriously hurt as well and he too was still recovering. The last thing he needed to worry about was his team. Unfortunately that seemed to be all Jayden worried about. He couldn't care any less about himself.

Antonio was pulled from his thoughts by a kiss. Jayden was back from the bathroom and had seen Antonio was lost in thought. Not wanting his boyfriend to worry, Jayden thought a kiss could cheer him up and pull him back to reality.

"Everything's going to be okay," Jayden promised as he looked Antonio in the eyes, "Tomorrow's a new day, right?"

"Just promise me your recovery will come first," Antonio said. "Jay…"

"If it makes you feel better," Jayden nodded, "I'll do all I can to get back into fighting form as soon as possible.

"That's the best way you can help us," Antonio smiled. Jayden gave him one more kiss before settling into bed. He looked at Antonio with a smile.

"But taking care of my team is important to me," he said. "I'll be more at ease if I know everyone's okay. I am red Ranger. Their wellbeing is my responsibility."

Antonio sighed but nodded his head. There was a huge downside to his boyfriend being the leader of the Samurai Rangers.

"Be smart about it, then," Antonio made Jayden promise. "You're not the only one who can help them. It's okay to take a minute for yourself."

"I promise," Jayden nodded. He nestled into Antonio's arms. "I won't push my limits, but I'll work within them."

"That's all I ask."

-Samurai-

The following morning, the sun shone brightly into the bedroom, waking Mia up first. She still had no memory of how she had gotten to the Shiba House, but the house, the people, and the story seemed real enough. She had trained with the yellow Ranger, Emily, and she too had symbol power, so Mia knew for sure she was with her fellow Samurai, but it frustrated her that she couldn't remember.

Her mentor Ji had assigned her her bedroom with Emily, which Mia was happy for. Though having her own room meant she had some privacy, sharing with Emily was the next best thing. While training with the yellow Ranger she had bonded with her, and Emily seemed just as confused about her Samurai training and her arrival at the Shiba House as Mia, making the pink Ranger feel a little less frustrated by her condition. That and the last thing Mia wanted to do was share a room with one of the boys.

She desperately wanted to call her grandmother and ask some questions, or at least get confirmation that her grandmother knew where she was. It pained her to think she had been plucked from her life, and her grandmother was looking around for her, worried, and panicked. She couldn't do that, however. Ji had explained the no contact rule, which her grandmother had already told her about. She wasn't allowed to communicate with her family. The Nighlok were always lurking and always watching. If she wanted to keep her family safe, she had to distance herself from them.

As she rolled over and pulled the blankets over her head, trying to get some more sleep, she noticed there was someone lying in bed with her. She gasped and sat up, moving herself away from the body as it threw off the blankets and looked at her.

"Emily?" she asked and held her hand over her heart, "What the hell? This is my bed! When did you…?"

"Sorry," Emily whispered. "I couldn't sleep."

"Isn't your sister here? Why didn't you crawl into her bed?"

"She confuses me," Emily lowered her head and sighed. She started to crawl down the bed, "Sorry… I just…"

Mia sighed loudly and rolled her eyes. She grabbed Emily's ankle and pulled her back.

"It's okay," she told her with a smile. "You just scared me. That's all. Why couldn't you sleep?"

"Too many thoughts in my head. Serena's been saying some really confusing stuff. One minute, I'm putting my book in my bag, the next, I wake up here. There's so many stories, and everyone's telling me different stuff… I don't know what to believe. I don't even want to be here anymore. I know I'm the yellow Ranger, but…"

"I'm sure we'll get used to it," Mia said and wrapped her arms around Emily, "You and I will figure this out together, okay? This is probably going to be very hard and confusing at first, but I promise I won't lie to you."

"I promise too," Emily smiled and held up her pinky. Mia wrapped her pinky around Emily's and laughed.

"I haven't pinky promised in years."

"You can't break pinky promises," Emily told her and then jumped off the bed, "Come with me."

"Where?" Mia asked. Emily took her hand and started to pull her out of the room.

"Serena's confusing me, but she's still my sister. I still trust her, and you can trust her too. I think you two will get along."

"Do we have to get up now?" Mia grumbled as she was pulled from her warm bed. Emily nodded and bounced down the hall, tugging Mia behind her. The pink Ranger rolled her eyes, "Where's your snooze button?"

"Don't have one," Emily stopped in front of Serena's door and slid it open wide. She pulled Mia into the room to properly introduce the two girls but stopped suddenly. Mia felt Emily letting go of her hand and she turned to see what Emily was staring at.

"You didn't tell me you were an aunt," Mia said when she saw Serena sitting up in bed and breastfeeding Terran. She averted her eyes to give Serena a little privacy.

"Emily!" Serena shrieked and instantly grabbed Terran's blanket to cover herself and Terran up, "You're…"

"Not so loud," James grumbled, unable to get back to sleep with all the noise, "You said we don't have to get out of bed for another half hour at least."

"Whoa," Mia breathed as she saw James sitting up. It seemed she wasn't the only one with an extra person in her bed. She pulled on Emily's arm, "Um, maybe we should have knocked, your sister is obviously…"

"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER!" Emily screamed, startling James from the bed. He fell right onto the floor and grabbed the sheets to cover himself up. He had his boxers on but preferred to be dressed when he was around Emily and Mia.

Emily looked from James, to Serena, down to the blanket covering the baby. She knew there had been a baby in the house, but after running into her sister the morning before she had forgotten about it. When she first saw the baby she had assumed it was Mia's. Then, when Serena chose this room to be hers, Emily helped her move the crib out of the room so Serena wouldn't infect any children. By the time Emily had learned her sister had recovered miraculously and her memories didn't match up with the reality her sister was trying to tell her, she had forgotten about the baby until this very moment.

And the fact that Serena was breastfeeding the baby meant only one thing to Emily. Her chin quivered and her eyes filled with tears. She had so many questions in her head and nothing made any sense anymore.

"Emy…" Serena called but the sound of her voice chased her sister away. Emily ran from the room. Mia, sensing something was wrong with the one person she knew she could trust completely, took off after Emily. Serena pounded one fist into her mattress, "Dammit!"

"Why did she come here?" James asked as he crawled up to the bed.

"Open door policy between Emily and me," Serena muttered. Terran finished feeding and Serena passed him over to James while she pulled on a shirt, "I have to find her."

"And tell her what?" James asked, "Serena, you've been telling her you've just recovered from your illness. How are you going to explain us?"

Serena looked to Terran and James and shook her head. She punched the mattress again.

"Dammit!"

"Serena…"

"Dammit, James, just shut up for a minute…"

"The truth," James said. "Serena, you have to tell her the truth. You have to tell her how many years she's missing."

"No," Serena shook her head. "She's fine how she is…"

"She just caught you breastfeeding your baby while sharing a bed with me! The only way this could have been worse is if she saw us… you know. You have to fill in the Gaps…"

"No," Serena shook her head, "James…"

James put Terran back in her arms and got out of bed. He pulled on a pair of pants and slipped on a shirt.

"James, where are you going?"

"To talk to your sister. I'm going to help her and Mia make sense of this world."

"James…"

"You can't keep lying to them every time a new reminder comes up," James said. "Besides, Mentor told Mia one story, and Emily's got another. They've obviously bonded and they're going to talk. What do you think they're going to do when they figure out something's wrong?"

"She'll freak out! They both will. You can't…"

James glared at Serena, "She can handle it. Just like she's handled everything else."

"But…"

"It's going to be hard, but they'll be able to do it," James said, "and they can do it with or without you. Now, are you coming with me, or are you going to sit here and be selfish?"

"They have to remember on their own…" Serena muttered, "if they even…"

"They can remember, and they're both going to have some pretty scary memories, but we can help control how scary those are," James walked out of the room after that. He didn't have anything else to say. He knew he wasn't a Samurai and it wasn't his place to question what the Samurai chose to do, but he didn't like anything that had been happening in the house and it was about time something happened. Mia and Emily were going to be told the truth. They were going to know that they weren't just missing a few days or a few hours, they were missing years. It was going to be a lot of news, especially after the wake-up call Emily just had, but it was going to be easier than lying to them.


	101. The Memory Wall

While Mike, Jayden, and Antonio tried to work with Emily to calm her down, and Ji, James, and Serena worked on creating a timeline of _need-to-know events_ for Mia and Emily, Kevin was in the hallway between the girls' bedroom and the common room, trying to help Mia make some sense of the craziness everyone kept calling the Shiba House.

While Mia couldn't care less what Serena did with James or how many children Serena had, she did care that Emily was upset. Unlike Emily, she didn't have someone to her past to cling onto and so she had put all her trust in the younger Samurai. To see Emily so confused and scared only reminded Mia how confusing and utterly terrifying this new world was.

"How can she not know her sister had a baby?" Mia screamed. "What's going on?"

Kevin took Mia's hands but she pulled away from him, "Don't touch me!" she screamed again, "Just tell me the truth! Where are we?"

"You're at the Shiba House," Kevin told her. "I'll tell you and Emily more, I promise, but you need to calm down…"

"Not until you tell me what the hell's going on!" Mia shouted. Suddenly the bedroom door flew open and a yellow blur jumped into Mia's arms. Mia tumbled to the ground before she realized it was Emily. She hugged the younger girl while Emily cried.

Kevin ran his hand down his face before he looked inside the bedroom. Mike was pulling at a pillow, almost tearing it in two, while Antonio tried to calm him down. Jayden sat at the foot of Mia's bed, shaking his head.

"Girls," Ji called as he stepped into the hallway, "We have answers for you."

"How can we trust you?" Mia asked.

"You can't," Ji admitted. If he was going to earn their trust, after all, he was going to have to start by being honest, "But I think you'll find this quite convincing."

"Forget everything you've been told over the last couple of days," James said and he held out his hands to help Mia and Emily off the floor. Mia took it but Emily knocked his hand away and stood up by herself.

"Forget?" Mia asked James, "Was that supposed to be funny?"

"Bad choice of words," James sighed.

"C'mon, Samurai," Ji signalled for everyone to follow him. The girls, Antonio, and Jayden walked to the common room, but Kevin stayed back and stopped Mike as he exited the room.

"I could hear you starting to yell," he told the green Ranger. Mike rolled his eyes.

"She's got no idea, Kevin…"

"And it hurts, I know," Kevin nodded, "but you need to…"

"Stay calm. I'm trying, Kevin. I'm trying…"

"Try harder. This is a lot…"

"Worse for her than it is for me," Mike finished for Kevin and groaned, "That's what's pissing me off, Kevin."

"It's not going to be easy, but if you're going to win her back, you're going to have to be her friend first. Forget the engagement. At least for now."

"But…"

"It sucks," Kevin nodded, "but we're going to get their memories back and imagine just how good it'll feel when we do get them back. And they'll remember how we helped them. Emily will remember you stayed in control."

"You and me in the dojo tonight?" Mike asked hopefully. He could understand needing to stay calm, but he was going to have to blow off some steam somehow. Kevin nodded his head. He wrapped his arm around the green Ranger and the two of them walked into the common room.

They saw the common room had been transformed completely. The walls were covered in pictures and newspapers and everything that wasn't somehow linked to an important memory had been taken out of the room and moved elsewhere.

"Until you two figure out your memories, this is memory lane," Serena explained and then pointed to the floor. Everyone looked down and saw two strips of tape, one yellow and one pink, divided the room in two. On the pink side, Kevin could recognize Mia's memories on one half of the room. They were the memories she shared with the team, and many of the pictures and newspapers were the same as on Emily's side, but there were some unique for her. Her own personal memories. Unfortunately, Serena, James, and Ji only knew so much. Kevin was going to have to fill in a few of the empty spaces later from what he knew of Mia's life before the Shiba House, as well as his private moments with her.

Emily's side was the same as Mia's. She shared many memories with the team, and then there was a full collection of memories that belonged to only Emily. Emily's wall, while almost completely full, still had an empty space.

"We couldn't get everything," Ji explained to the girls as they looked around in awe. They couldn't remember anything, and yet they couldn't deny the proof was real. The pictures looked real, the newspaper clippings looked real, and the dog napping in Emily's corner of the room seemed very real. Ji pointed to the blank spaces on the walls, "The more you girls start to remember, the more you can put on the walls. Eventually, the gaps will be filled as your memory starts to come back.

"But where did it go?" Mia asked. She took a picture of her and the Samurai Rangers at the park off the wall and showed it to Ji, "This is real, right? So why can't I remember it? When did it happen?"

"Have a seat," Ji pointed to the stools and the Rangers took their seats, "You girls have been here at the Shiba House for a year and a half, already."

"A what?" Mia asked, "Say that again?"

"A year and a half," Ji said, "and from what we can tell…"

"Four years," Serena whispered, "Your memories stop about four years ago."

"F-f-four?" Emily stammered as she looked to her sister. It couldn't be true, but it would explain Serena's recovery, Serena's apparent boyfriend, and Serena's baby. "You mean… we don't remember…"

"Four years," Serena nodded.

Ji sighed, "I'm afraid it's my fault, girls. My father and my siblings came by and took over the house. Our… situation with them got a little complicated. In the end, you two were the only ones left in the house with them."

"And that's a problem?" Mia asked.

Ji nodded, "My father and my siblings were working for a doctor Jayden and I fired some time ago. This doctor kidnapped my nieces and nephews and forced my family to… hurt you."

"Us?" Mia pointed to herself and Emily, "Us specifically or…"

"You Samurai," Ji answered. "Unfortunately, the only way out was to escape slowly. Serena was kicked out of the Shiba Home, Mike and Antonio followed. I left after that, and then Serena and I returned and took Jayden."

"I got kicked off shortly after," Kevin said, "And that left you two girls."

"Why did you leave?" Emily asked. Mia took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"More importantly: what did they do to us after you left?"

"The doctor, Doctor Harada, created a drug. He turned you girls against us. Eventually, and fortunately before you could do any harm, the drug knocked you out. We found an antidote and it seemed to have worked to wake you back up, but now…"

"We don't remember anything," Mia sighed. She stood up and walked over to her wall. The pictures were interesting, but it was the newspaper clippings that really fascinated her. All the stories of the Samurai had the dates printed underneath the pictures or above the columns. As Mia walked along the wall, she saw her life flash before her eyes through the pictures. Unfortunately, she couldn't recall any of it.

"I can't believe it," Mia whispered, "All of this… how do I just forget it?"

"We can explain some of the pictures, if you want," Kevin offered. Mia shook her head.

"Then how will I know if I remember them?" she asked. "Just… let me figure this out on my own."

Kevin nodded sadly and got up from his stool, "I've got a few more pictures to add, Mia. I'll put them up and then I'll leave you alone."

Mia nodded her head, "Thank you."

"Do you want to be alone, Emy?" Serena asked. Emily hugged her knees to her chest and sighed. She still couldn't understand what was going on.

"We'll just… go fishing," Antonio suggested as he pulled Jayden out of the room. He figured the girls could use a moment.

Mentor started for the kitchen. He wanted to get started on lunches for the Rangers.

"Mike," Kevin waved the green Ranger over, "C'mon. You can help me with Mia's pictures. Maybe we can find a few more for Emily too."

Mike nodded and followed the blue Ranger.

James pointed over his shoulder as Terran started to cry, "I'll just…"

Serena nodded and waited for him to leave before she got up and knelt down in front of Emily.

"Sweetie…"

"Go away," Emily muttered. "You left me."

"Do you remember any of that?" Serena asked.

Emily shook her head, "No, but you said it. You did it, right?"

"I got kicked out of the house, Emily. I had no choice…"

"You promised me you would never leave," Emily said.

"When did I promise that, Emily?" Serena asked. She knew the answer. She had promised it to Emily after their mother walked out. She had promised it to Emily right in this very room.

"I just remember you promised it," Emily said. She turned her back to her sister and stared at her wall, "Go away. I want to be alone."

"You should go," Mia nodded her head, "Terran's probably hungry."

Serena turned to Mia and blinked. She was about to say something but decided against it. Instead she just got up and walked out, leaving the girls to figure out their last few years.


	102. The Early Morning Start

Kevin couldn't sleep. A room had been made for him from one of the unused studies while Mia and Emily shared his bedroom, but no matter what he did, he couldn't turn it into a bedroom. The bed was just a single bed, much smaller than what he was used to sleeping in, and there was no Mia to sleep beside him, making the room cold, dark, and very lonely. So instead of lying on his back and staring up at the ceiling, he went to the dojo to train. It was the only thing he could think of doing that might tire him out and force him to sleep.

Before he knew it, the sun was up and the door slid open. Kevin's punches ceased, giving the bag a rest while he looked to see who it was. A smile crossed his face.

"Mia. You're up early."

"I sleep with a human alarm clock," Mia muttered and tied the belt of her uniform. From outside, Kevin could hear Emily's flute. He chuckled. It seemed despite the memory loss, Emily was still up bright and early and she still knew how to get the sleep-loving Mia out of bed and to training on time. Kevin passed her a katana.

"I'm glad I never had to share a room with Emily," he said, "Though I am always up early regardless."

"Can you not do that?"

"Do what?"

"Make reference to the past I can't remember."

The smile slipped from Kevin's face and he nodded his head, "Sorry."

Mia sighed. She twirled the katana around, "Do you think I'll get my memory back?"

"I hope you do. Before… this… we were really good friends."

"We were engaged," Mia nodded. There was a hopeful look in Kevin's eye and she had to quickly take that hope away, "I remember the ring and I saw most of the pictures were of us in each other's arms. Even on Emily's side. I put two and two together."

"Look, Mia, there's no pressure, okay? I want to go back to that, obviously, but… if you don't feel it, I won't force it."

"Thanks," Mia smiled. She held out the katana for Kevin. She didn't feel like training, "I am sorry. I know this isn't easy for you."

"It's not," Kevin shook his head, "But you're okay and you're still Mia. You're just… a Mia I never met. A Mia I only heard about. That's got to be better than nothing."

"I should be happy I'm not dead, I guess."

"What's it like?" Kevin asked. "When you… what do you see when you try to remember something."

Mia shrugged her shoulders, "It's really hard to explain… but nothing. I can remember things like… my parents telling me they were getting a divorce… but I know that happened and I recall it. The stuff I've forgotten… I don't even know what I forgot or what I'm missing."

"What about the pictures?" Kevin asked, "Do those help?"

"A little bit. Those are like a story to me, though. Familiar… but it feels like it's not me."

"I'll do whatever I can to help," Kevin promised her. "Whatever you need…"

"A friend," Mia looked to him with a smile, "I need a friend."

Kevin nodded his head, "I can do that, but one thing."

"What?"

"It's something you probably won't be comfortable with. Something the old you only really learned how to do recently."

"What's that?"

"You need to be selfish," Kevin took her hands and looked her in the eye; "Mike and Serena will worry about Emily. You need to focus on yourself. You need to tell me what you want and what you need. That's the only way I can help you."

Mia gave Kevin a funny looked. He was right to say it was something she wouldn't be comfortable with. Kevin squeezed her hands, "Mia, I know more about you than you do right now anyways. You don't have anything to hide and I won't judge. Just promise me you'll be more selfish and open up."

Mia nodded her head, "Okay."

"Can I hug you?"

Mia laughed, "Of course."

-Samurai-

James had an apology to make. One he wasn't looking forward to making.

He woke up to the sound of the flute. It was a familiar tune, one he occasionally heard Serena hum Terran to sleep with. He followed the sound outside and saw Emily sitting on a bench, playing the flute. He took a seat next to her and waited for her to finish her song.

"You're really good."

"You're dating my sister?" Emily looked to James. He nodded his head sadly.

"I'm really sorry about that," he said. "We should have been more careful. You had a right to know, but finding out like that…"

"Sorry for walking in," Emily sighed. "But Serena and I always…"

"Had an open door policy," James nodded his head, "I know. She told me. And it's okay. I just wanted to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk."

"You're upset. I get it. Emily it's…"

"Of course I'm upset… but I'm scared. I can't remember anything! I only remember Serena and… I don't know what to do… she left…"

"She didn't leave," James looked at Emily, "She was kicked out. Shin, the man who was working for the doctor who did this to you, he said some really bad things to your sister about Terran."

"He's my nephew, right?"

"Serena's son."

"Are you his dad?"

"Emily, Serena spent all that time she was away from you trying to get back. She was trying to save you. Your sister, from what I know, screws up quite a bit, but you can trust her."

"You're changing the subject," Emily looked to James. He shook his head.

"I'm staying on subject. You tried to change it first."

"I want to change it," Emily said. "Are you Terran's father?"

"Emily…"

"It'll make sense," Emily said. "You are her boyfriend… wait, you are her boyfriend, right? You two aren't married or something and I forgot…"

"I am her boyfriend," James nodded, "No ring yet."

"But a baby? Mom won't be happy when she finds out… does mom know?"

"Emily, breakfast!" Serena called from the Shiba House. James nodded his head to the door.

"We should go inside," James got up from the bench and stayed back a few paces while Emily rushed inside to eat. She could already smell the chocolate chip pancakes. James stopped Serena at the door, "She's asking some tough questions."

"Like?"

"Who Terran's father is. Whether or not your mom knows about the baby."

"You didn't tell her anything, did you?" Serena said.

"You need to earn her trust back," James told her. "You're the only one she has, and when those memories come flooding back…"

"She'll be in for hell."

-Samurai-

Emily tried to eat her pancakes in peace, but the eyes watching her made her uncomfortable. Slowly, she pushed the maple syrup across the table.

"Do you want more?"

Mike shook his head and turned his attention back to his food, "No… sorry."

Ji grabbed two plates and started to leave the kitchen, "I think I will deliver these to Antonio and Jayden myself."

Mike heard Ji leaving and stabbed his pancake with his fork. Now he was alone with Emily.

"You don't remember anything," he asked her. Emily shook her head.

Kevin and Mia walked into the kitchen, laughing about something that had happened in the dojo. Mike couldn't believe it. It was only a couple days into the amnesia problem and already Mia and Kevin were back to their usual selves, meanwhile, he still couldn't figure out how to talk to Emily. He stabbed his pancake a little harder but hit his plate instead. His pancake was already gone.

He got up from his chair, tossed his dishes into the sink and stormed out.

"Uh…"

"Don't worry about it," Kevin said to Mia, "Mike's always had a bit of a temper."

"What's bothering him?" Mia asked. "You know, aside from this," she tapped her head with her knuckles and then nodded in Emily's direction.

"That's exactly what's bothering him."

"Why?" Emily asked. "I mean… why is it bothering him this much?"

"Why don't you go find out?" Kevin suggested. Emily didn't look so sure. Kevin smiled, "He won't hurt you. You used to be really good at talking to him. If anyone can calm him down, it's you."

"Okay," Emily breathed and got up from the table. She put her dishes in the sink and searched the house for him until eventually she saw him outside. He was talking with Serena and James. He kicked the dirt and Emily couldn't hear from this side of the window, but it looked like he was yelling. James and Serena seemed to be calming him down. Emily glanced over her shoulder. She could see Kevin and Mia in the kitchen. Kevin waved for her to go outside. She gulped and stepped out. "Mike?"

Instantly he seemed to calm. Serena and James made up an excuse to leave and walked back inside. It was just Emily and Mike again. The green Ranger took a seat on the bench. Emily sat next to him. She didn't know what to say so she kept it simple, "I grew up on a farm."

"I know."

"I know you know, but I don't know anything about you."

"I grew up in the city."

"I was bullied in school."

"I bullied for a little while," Mike looked to Emily and saw she seemed somewhat nervous about that revelation. He smiled, "I learned my lesson. I know I was wrong. I'm ashamed by it."

"I'm dyslexic," Emily said. "I'm ashamed of that."

"That's nothing to be ashamed of. I have anger management problems."

"I'm a cry baby."

"I don't like being told what to do."

"I'm scared."

"I'll protect you," Mike looked to Emily again, this time with a smile. She looked back at him. He nodded his head, "It's what I've always done and it's what I'll always do."

"Because we're a team?"

"Yeah," Mike chuckled and nodded, "We're a team. But we're more than that."

Emily looked down at the grass, "What if I never remember?"

"I don't know, but we'll figure it out."

"I had a dream last night. A dream or a memory… I think I stared at that memory wall for too long."

"Tell me. Maybe I can help."

"I saw flowers," Emily answered. "A lot of flowers, and someone was there with me. I didn't see who, and I woke up before I could figure it out. The dog jumped in my bed."

Mike chuckled and nodded his head, "That's Scruffy. He's your dog. He loves you a lot."

"Scruffy?"

"We bought him at the pet store. You were in a bit of a depression."

"Why?"

"We thought Serena was dead. I bought you the dog because it was the first thing to really cheer you up."

"Thanks," Emily smiled.

"Looks like Scruffy's still got it."

Emily nodded her head, "So, about my dream?"

"Flowers aren't much to go on. I think you were right about staring at the wall for too long. Unless…"

Mike pulled out his Samuraizer and drew a symbol. A flower sprouted from the ground and the stem turned into a ring, with the flower in the place of the rock. Mike plucked the flower ring from the ground and gave it to Emily, "Remember this?"

"No."

Mike sighed then put the ring in the band in her hair, "Eventually you will."

"Do you really think so?"

Mike nodded his head. He traced another symbol and created another ring. He smiled as he presented it to Emily, "Remember it now?"

Emily laughed and nodded her head, "It seems vaguely familiar. I think… you made one just like it five seconds ago."

Mike chuckled. This time, instead of placing the flower in her hair, he put it in his own, "How does it look on me?"

"You look silly," Emily smiled.

"Silly?" Mike asked her before reaching out and tickling her sides. Emily shrieked and pulled away from him, all while laughing.

"I'm ticklish!"

"I know," Mike smirked and pretended to lunge for her. Emily jumped away and started running. Mike chased after her until he grabbed her around the waist and caught her in his arms. He spun her around then set her back down. Emily turned in his arms and looked up at him.

"Emy?" Serena called from the door, "Can you come inside? There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

Emily looked to Serena and nodded. She then looked back at Mike and blushed.

"I remember something," she told him. Mike had a hopeful look in his eye.

"You do?"

"It's more of a feeling," Emily nodded. "I remember having a lot of fun here. Kinda like this. But I don't remember anything specific."

"Soon," he told her and kissed her forehead. Emily blushed a little harder and pulled away from his arms. She hurried over to Serena, who shot Mike and apologetic look before ushering Emily inside.


	103. The Good and Bad Memories

Mia stared at the memory wall, but nothing was coming back to her. It was like she was staring at pictures of her twin, watching her life frame by frame. She wasn't sure she could ever get all her memories back.

"Just how you like it," Kevin held out a mug for her and Mia looked inside and saw he had made her some tea. She smiled as she accepted it but she wasn't truly happy.

"This is weird," she told him. She walked to the table and set the tea down, "You know me… I have no idea who you are."

"We'll figure something out," Kevin promised her. Mia shook her head. She sat down on her stool. Kevin took the spot next to her. He placed his hand on her back. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know if I want to do this," Mia said.

"It's only just started. You have to give it time…"

"That's weird," Mia pointed to the wall, "What if I don't… what if I can't remember that?"

"Mia…"

"How old am I?"

"Twenty-two."

Mia gulped and nodded her head, "I'm missing the last four years of my life… but I have an entire life ahead of me, still, and eighteen years behind me."

"You don't want to remember?"

"More than anything, I do… but I don't know what to do. I can't just flip a switch, and if it's never going to happen… it's never going to happen."

"So, what do you want?"

"I want to go out."

"Out?"

"To lunch," Mia nodded. "I want to go out to lunch with you."

"With me?"

"Not on a date. You're kind of my only friend here. Well, and Emily, but she's busy with her own memory thing…"

"Not a date?"

"Kevin, are you okay? You're just repeating what I'm saying."

Kevin shook his head to clear his mind and then he looked at Mia, "Sorry. What?"

"We were engaged… are engaged? I don't want this to be weird but… can you take me out?"

"Where would you like to go?" Kevin asked as he got up to grab his wallet, "We can leave now if…"

"Jungle Karma Pizza."

Kevin dropped his wallet and froze where he was standing. Mia looked to him curiously and he slowly started to turn around.

"What?"

"JKP," Kevin said, "Where… where did you hear about that?"

"It's just kind of stuck in my head," Mia shrugged her shoulders. "It's got the word pizza in it… it's a pizza place, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded, "it's a pizza place. We've been there before… that's… that's why I asked."

"We have? I don't remember… Leo… no…"

"Mia?"

"Theo… the waiter there… Theo."

Kevin rushed over and knelt down in front of Mia. He took her hands, "Keep going."

"Jungle Karma Pizza… the waiter there was Theo… he was short and… it was awkward… something was awkward about…"

"Don't think too hard," Kevin smiled, "Just let it come."

"The date," Mia continued, "I was… we were on a date. We didn't know what to talk about and Theo… he helped us."

"What happened after the date?" Kevin asked. He wanted to see how far he could take this one memory, though he couldn't believe it was coming back for Mia.

Suddenly, Mia pulled him into a kiss. Kevin's eyes widened for a moment from the shock before he realized what happened. He deepened the kiss until Mia pulled away.

"Well…" he cleared his throat, "That wasn't right after the date… but I'll take it."

"That's it…" Mia shook her head, "That's all I know."

"That's a big step," Kevin smiled. "You remembered our first date."

"It's still patchy. I thought the kiss might… help?"

"Did it?"

Mia shook her head. Kevin took her hand, "You can kiss me until it does. But all jokes aside, though I am serious, let's go."

"To the pizza place?"

"If just the thought of going out to lunch triggered all that, imagine what you might remember if you're actually there."

"Don't get your hopes up," Mia told him. She could see the excitement all over his face, "That might be it for now."

"It's worth a shot," Kevin smiled.

-Samurai-

Emily was sitting on Serena's bed with her nephew in her lap. James had mentioned his name was Terran, but aside from that, Emily had no clue who the child was. Nothing about him was familiar.

"James told me you had questions," Serena said, "Questions I should answer."

Emily nodded her head, "It's about the baby."

"Terran."

"I know. I heard."

Serena nodded. She lifted Terran from Emily's lap and set him in his crib with a few toys.

"I know we got off to a bit of a rocky start with this… memory thing," Serena said, "but Emy, I swear, I have your best interest at heart."

"So why didn't you just tell me?"

"Before we knew for sure… I tried to tell you," Serena said. "Remember? You were fighting with me over that reading assignment."

"I hope I got it done," Emily muttered, "If not, it's four years late."

"You got a B," Serena nodded. "You were so proud. I was proud of you. You got it back the day I came home from the hospital."

"You were better?"

"I was sick," Serena shook her head, "The conversation you remember overhearing… mom, dad, and I just found out that my illness was going to kill me. I was choosing where I wanted to die. In a different hospital or at home. I didn't recover until about a year ago."

"Oh…"

"That didn't change how happy I was for you," Serena sat down beside Emily and took her hand, "You worked so hard on that reading assignment. Mom told me she was up late with you trying to get it done. The day you got it back and you saw that B on the paper, you came racing into the house, right up to my bedroom. You put the paper in my hands as I woke up. It was the happiest I had seen you in a long time."

Emily smiled and hugged her sister, "Sorry I freaked out."

"I'm sorry I tried to keep this from you," Serena said. "I won't do it anymore, I promise. So ask me about Terran."

"Is James the father?"

"No."

"Do mom and dad know?"

"Yes."

"How did they take it?"

Serena sighed, "Don't you want to ask who the father is? I'd rather…"

"Do I know the father? Like, is he in the house, or someone I remember?"

"No."

"Then how did mom and dad take it when you told them about Terran?"

Serena gulped. She would start with any story except this one. Nothing had hurt Emily more over the last four years than her mother's reaction to Serena's pregnancy. She could remember the long week Emily spent completely mute. Not a sound escaped her lips, and as the week wore on, all expression faded from her face and her eyes until she was nothing but an empty body screaming for help.

"Dad was furious when he first found out," Serena answered. "I mean… obviously he was upset that I…"

"Had sex?"

Serena nodded her head. She took a deep breath. This was nothing like the stories Serena used to tell Emily. Stories from the years before Emily was born, or when Emily was too young to hold onto any of her own memories.

"He came around, though," Serena said. "He was angry for a little while, but before the day was done, he promised he would support me. He met Terran too, once. He had to babysit for a week. He loves his grandson."

"Dad always wanted a boy," Emily nodded. She looked to Serena happily, "So mom and dad came around?"

Serena had to stop herself from saying yes. She didn't want to hurt Emily. If she could choose, she would let Emily only remember the good things that happened to her. She would permanently erase all the bad from her sister's mind. But she knew she couldn't do that. Even if Emily never did remember on her own, her memories and her experiences made her who she was. Without the knowledge that her mother ran away, Serena really couldn't be sure if Emily would be happier or not. And there was also no guaranteeing Emily never found out. The past had a way of coming back, and Serena was sure that if it did, Emily's reaction would be worse than when she found out about James and Terran. Serena considered herself lucky she was allowed to talk to Emily again after that.

"Eventually," she answered. "Mom took… a little longer…"

"What do you mean?" Emily looked up at Serena with her big, innocent green eyes. Serena turned away.

"Mom ran away."

"She…" the words hit Emily like a train. She shook her head to deny it but was suddenly hit again, this time by a memory. The day she learned her mother had walked out on her flooded back into her mind. She remembered sitting with Mia and Serena as she heard the news. The pain, the fear, the questions, the emptiness filled her heart again.

"No, no, no," Serena knelt down in front of Emily and took her hands. She looked up at her baby sister, "Emy, don't do this again. Mom came back. She loves you, Emy, we all do. Please just… say something."

Emily shook her head and swallowed. She hadn't heard a word her sister said. She was too caught up in the past to pay any attention to what was happening.

"Emily, come back," Serena called, snapping her fingers in front of her sister's face. Still, there was no sign of Emily.

"Serena, is everything okay?" James poked his head into the room when he heard Serena calling Emily's name from the hallway. He knew he didn't have any reason for butting into their conversation, but he couldn't ignore Serena shouting for Emily to come back.

Serena shook her head, "I told her about mom."

"What?"

"When mom ran away, Emily shut down," Serena explained as she continued to try and draw Emily's attention back to reality. For once, Emily's real world was nowhere near as terrifying as the one in her head. "She didn't speak for a week. It was exactly like this."

James nodded his head and picked up Serena's laptop from her desk. She looked to him curiously before ignoring him. Whatever he wanted to do, he could do. She had to focus on bringing her sister back.

"What's your password?"

"James, not now!"

James sighed. She wouldn't help him so he entered the one password of hers he knew and it worked. He smiled as he opened up her email, found one from her parents and showed it to Emily.

"She won't read it!" Serena yelled at him in a panic.

James nodded, "Dear Serena," he read out loud, "I'm glad to hear you're taking care of yourself and the Rangers are doing well. I know the life of the Samurai is demanding, as well as motherhood. I cannot imagine needing to balance both at the same time, though I'm sure you're doing wonderfully, and you have a houseful of people willing to help you raise my beautiful grandson. I can't believe just how big he's getting. Remember to cherish these years. Before you know it, he'll be walking around, wearing you out, and talking back. Love always, mom."

"Mom?" Emily squeaked out. Serena threw her arms around her sister. It wasn't much, but it was one more word than she had said last time.

"She came back," Serena nodded, "Mom didn't leave forever."

"Are you okay now?" James asked as he set the laptop back on the desk.

"I owe you," Serena said to him, "Whatever you want, just ask for it."

"I'll be in the common room," James said and he lifted Terran from the crib, "C'mon, little man. Mommy and Auntie Emy need some time to themselves and boy do you stink."

"Mom left?" Emily gulped when James and Terran were gone. Serena nodded her head.

"You remember?"

"I wish I didn't…"

"I know," Serena hugged her sister again, "One memory at a time, though. You'll remember better stuff. Stuff that'll make you happy. At least you got this one out of the way."

"You promised you would never leave me," Emily muttered, "After mom left, you promised…"

"I never will," Serena nodded. "We'll face your memories together. You, me and…"

"And?" Emily asked, looking to her sister curiously. "Who else?"

"You don't remember? Someone else promised never to leave you."

"Who?"

"You'll find out," Serena said. "For now, I guess I have you all to myself again."

Serena stood up and walked to her night table. She pulled out a sheet of music and showed it to Emily, "Remember writing this?"

Emily shook her head, "Can you play it for me?"

"Go get your flute," Serena chuckled and Emily sprinted from the room. One thing she would never forget was how much she loved hearing her sister play the flute.


	104. Bedtime

It was the strangest thing. Mia remembered exactly what she had ordered from JKP the first time she and Kevin ate at the pizza parlour, but aside from the small pieces of memory she had recalled back at the Shiba House, nothing about this experience was familiar to her. As disappointed as Kevin was, he was just happy to happy Mia by his side again. He was somewhat upset she hadn't agreed to continue with the engagement when he reminded her about it, but he could understand her reluctance to jump right back into a relationship she didn't know anything about.

Mia looked across the table as Kevin paid for the meal. Theo, the waiter, collected the money and wished Kevin and Mia a good night. Mia took Kevin's hand just when he was about to get up.

"I'm sorry I can't remember."

"Mia, don't," Kevin shook his head, "It's not your fault. I shouldn't have given you that antidote until I knew what was going on with Emily."

"I'm alive, the antidote did that too," Mia smiled. "Besides, we don't know for sure the antidote did this, and even if it did, I'm getting some memories back. Don't worry about me."

"You'll get them all back," Kevin promised her.

-Samurai-

"You two should really do that somewhere a little more private," Emily backed away slowly from the common room. Her eyes were fixed on Jayden and Antonio. The boys had been enjoying a movie until Emily walked in and caught them making out on the couch. Mike was in the dojo, teaching James a few tricks with a sword, and Kevin and Mia were out in Ocean Bluff getting a bite to eat. Serena had taken Emily to her room for a conversation and Ji was in his own room, trying to analyse the bottles the antidote came in to see if he could find anything. Jayden and Antonio thought they had the room to themselves, but it seemed they were wrong.

"I guess you were going to find out eventually," Antonio chuckled and moved away from Jayden. The red Ranger straightened himself out and cleared his throat. He wasn't used to being caught with his boyfriend. Most of the time, any romance he and Antonio shared took place in the privacy of their room.

"Anyone else in a relationship that I should know about?" Emily asked. Antonio and Jayden exchanged looks. The real answer to that question was yes. Kevin and Mia were in a relationship, though Mia couldn't remember, and Emily was in a relationship with Mike, though she couldn't remember.

"It's probably best if you figure it out yourself," Jayden told her. Emily furrowed her brow for a moment, then gave Jayden and Antonio another look.

"So…"

"Yep," Antonio nodded. He could tell what was on her mind. "I'm gay. He's bi."

"Okay…"

"If it makes you uncomfortable…"

"No," Emily shook her head, "I just… didn't see that coming…"

"Neither did we," Jayden smirked.

"Was I okay with it before?" Emily asked. "Sorry… but I don't really… know you guys…"

"You were okay with it before," Antonio nodded. "You were happy we were happy."

"Okay…"

"Emy, I thought you were getting the flute," Serena walked in behind Emily, "What's the hold up?"

Emily pointed to the couch where Jayden and Antonio were sitting. Serena shook her head, unsure of what her sister wanted to tell her, but then it hit her and she chuckled. She ruffled Emily's hair, "You have a bad habit of walking in on people, don't you?"

"At least neither of them were in bed," Emily grumbled, "Of breastfeeding a strange baby."

"Yeah, that was bad," Serena nodded her head.

-Samurai-

After lunch, Kevin had taken Mia back to the park where they had walked after their first date. She didn't remember anything about the park, but Kevin figured at least he could recreate her memories for her.

He knew it wasn't her fault. He knew if she could, she would remember. She seemed to want to, but it was a task that was impossible to force. Her mind would choose when it would allow her to remember. He understood it could take days, or even years. Though he knew it wasn't right to blame her, and he would never tell her or let it show, he was getting frustrated with her. There were so many important memories she had lost, and he couldn't understand how she couldn't remember even a small detail of them, yet when he asked her if she knew how to use Symbol Power without her Samuraizer, she did it without hesitation.

He had driven her home after the park and had asked she do him a favour. He wanted her to look at the memory wall and she if she remembered anything. Mia did as she was asked, but nothing came back to her. The only memory he knew she had was the small memory of their first date. It meant a lot to Kevin, but there was so much more she was missing.

Mia's staring at the wall only lasted until Antonio, Emily, and Scruffy rudely interrupted, and Mia preferred to watch them race around the common room, laughing, smiling, and playing around like nothing was different. Antonio and Emily had always been the two with the most energy, and Scruffy, always ready to play, would turn on and off with his mistress. It seemed that was another thing that hadn't been lost like the memories, but that, in no way, served Mia or Emily any good as far as Kevin could see. Antonio chasing Emily around the house wouldn't remind Emily of the four years she missed, and wouldn't remind Mia of all the things she had forgotten. So when Emily ducked behind Mia for cover, pulling the pink Ranger into the game, Kevin walked off to see if Mike wanted to train.

"Help me!" Emily shrieked as Antonio walked past Mia and picked Emily up. He carried her over his shoulder and towards the couch, "Mia!"

"Whatever you did, I don't want to get involved."

Antonio plopped Emily down on the couch and pinned her in place before he invited Scruffy to jump up and lick Emily's face.

"EW!" Emily cried but she couldn't move to push Scruffy or Antonio away. She giggled as she turned her head from side to side trying to avoid the licks, "Stop it! Get off! Stop it! Stop! S-Stop! Stop it!"

The last two screams didn't sound like Emily was having fun anymore. They were screams of panic. Scruffy, sensing something was wrong stopped immediately. Antonio climbed off of Emily. She stared at him in horror then sat up on the couch. She hugged her knees to her chest.

"Em?" Antonio lightly touched her shoulder, "Are you okay? Whatever I did… I'm sorry."

"It's been a long day," Mia said. She gently pulled Emily up from the couch, "I don't know about you, but I'm tired. You had me up early today and Kevin and I went on a loong date. I'm ready for bed. You?"

Emily nodded her head. She couldn't understand why, but being pinned under Antonio, unable to move, made her uncomfortable. She knew she could trust Antonio. She had spent the day playing around with him and the other Samurai and she had had a lot of fun with him, but something changed."

"We'll see you guys tomorrow morning," Mia said to Antonio, "Bright and early, if Emily's sleep pattern is the same as always."

Antonio nodded his head. He felt bad. He didn't mean any harm.

-Samurai-

It was a little too early to fall asleep so Mia laid awake in bed and thought about her day. She knew it was frustrating for herself, but she couldn't help but notice the looks Kevin made when he thought she wasn't looking. She knew that before she had forgotten him he had been her fiancé and the lack of memory had to frustrate him too. She wished there was more she could do for him but everything was out of her control.

"Do you think I had a bad four years?" Emily suddenly asked from her bed on the other side of the room.

Mia shook her head, "I doubt it. Maybe bad times but you have to have some good memories, right?"

She heard Emily sigh, "It's just… in the last four years… Serena was supposed to die, mom ran away and for some reason came back, and now, I don't know why, but being pinned down like that…"

"Really freaked you out?"

"I can't put my finger on it, but I don't think I want to. I don't know what I can't remember and I'm already terrified by it. And I took a shower this morning."

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"We fight Nighlok, right?"

"Yeah."

"Have you showered?"

These nighttime conversations weren't uncommon between the girls since they started sharing a room. Every night, just before bed, one of them would talk about something. Mia had learned that Emily tended to ask strange questions which seemed to have nothing to do with the conversation, but in fact always did.

"Yeah."

"Notice any scars?"

"A few," Mia nodded, "but it's like you said, we fight Nighlok. And Kevin told me what Shin and the mentors did to us."

"I have a lot, well, I've always had more than most, but I have a lot more than I remember."

Mia heard Emily sitting up in bed, so she sat up as well. Emily lifted the side of her shirt and pointed, "This looks like it hurt a lot. And then there's this," Emily pointed to another spot on her body, "I'm no expert, but I think that's a burn. There's a few of those everywhere, actually. Then more cuts, bruises, some scars that look like I had stitches…"

"Aren't you accident prone?" Mia asked. She didn't know how she knew this. Emily had never mentioned it.

"Yeah, but I'm not _that_ bad… am I?"

"I don't know," Mia shrugged her shoulders. She laid back down, "I'm getting kind of tired."

"Serena said my memory of mom leaving was the worst," Emily continued, "but… that one's really, really bad… so even if the others aren't as bad… what if they're still bad? Do you have bad memories?"

"Only one memory," Mia said, "but it's not bad. I remember going on a date with Kevin."

"You and Kevin?"

"Apparently we were engaged."

"Whoa."

"Yep," Mia closed her eyes, "Goodnight, Emily."

There was a moment of silence, then Mia heard Emily's bed moving. She sighed and lifted her blankets without bothering to open her eyes. Emily slipped into her bed, like she did every night after their talks.

Mia sniffed the air, "You smell like dog."

"Scruffy licked my face."

"Go wash," Mia pointed to the bathroom. Emily got out of bed reluctantly to wash her face. As she did, Mia sat up. She noticed that, once again, Emily had brought her yellow stuffed ape with her.

"Do you remember this guy yet?" Mia asked and held the ape up. Emily looked in mirror and shook her head.

"No, but I like it. And, this morning, I found a dog under my other pillow. He looks just like Scruffy."

Emily dried her face with a towel, turned off the bathroom light and crawled back into bed with Mia. She hugged the ape to her chest and looked to the pink Ranger who laughed.

"You're such a kid."

Emily stuck her tongue out, "He's comforting. I don't know why, but he makes me feel like I'm at home," Emily closed her eyes, "Now shh, I'm trying to sleep. I'll need all the rest I can get if I'm going to be your alarm clock tomorrow morning. You're not easy to drag out of bed, you know."

"You could let me sleep in."

"You're funny when you're grumpy."

"I'll be hilarious tomorrow morning, then," Mia smiled. She kissed Emily's forehead, "Goodnight."


	105. Mia's Morning Jog

For the first time since she could remember, Mia was up before Emily. When she opened her eyes and saw the yellow Ranger sleeping soundly a part of her wanted to shake Emily awake as revenge for the other mornings, but Mia wouldn't do that. From what she understood of her conversation with Emily the night before, the yellow Ranger was having a difficult time with her memories. They were slowly coming back to her, but none of them seemed to be good. Meanwhile, the one memory Mia had was of a fantastic date night with her boyfriend, and considering he was now her fiancé, Mia could only imagine there were more good memories waiting for her. For Emily, she wasn't so sure.

While Emily was still sleeping, Mia got changed. She couldn't quite remember the morning routine at the Shiba House, and it didn't help how slack the rules were while she and Emily recovered, but she could remember going for jogs in the morning when she had been living with her grandmother, and an early morning run couldn't hurt her now. She made sure to have her Samuraizer on her, though. She didn't want to find out what would happen if she lost it, or how panicked her team would be if she didn't have it on her.

She walked to the kitchen, where she was surprised to see Jayden and Kevin were sitting at the breakfast table. Kevin was reading a book and Jayden seemed to be enjoying the breakfast Ji had prepared. Mia went to pour herself a glass of orange juice.

"Good morning," she said to the three as she picked up the glass from the table and turned to look at them. It still felt very strange to her. They knew her, and sometimes they knew her better than she seemed to know herself, and yet she had no idea who they were aside from the few little facts she had picked up on over the last few days. Ji was the mentor. He was always lurking somewhere around the house, cleaning, organizing, or studying from his books and when there was training, he was always supervising, watching from a distance, and offering advice when the Samurai needed it.

Jayden, she knew, was the leader. He was quiet, and for the most part he kept to himself, but he did spend quite a bit of time around Antonio. Occasionally she caught a glimpse at his upper chest and she could see burn marks. When Kevin had explained to her the events leading up to her memory loss, Mia remembered something about Jayden taking a hit for Serena that left him badly injured, and yet he was still up and about, working out just like all the others.

Out of the three in the kitchen, Mia knew Kevin the best. While she couldn't remember it for herself, she had been engaged to him at one point, and she trusted herself enough to trust him. Though it frustrated her to know she had a life she couldn't remember with a man who had so far proven to be amazing to her, she knew she could count on Kevin to help her get back to her old self, with or without the memories. It helped her to know she had someone around she could trust; someone who cared about her.

"Good morning," the three smiled to her. She took a sip of her orange juice and saw Kevin looking at her strangely. She wasn't dressed like them, ready for training. She was dressed for her jog.

"Where are you going this early?" he asked.

"A run," she told him and before he could offer she added, "I want to take some time for myself. Just me and my thoughts. Maybe something will come back to me."

"Not everything about the past four years was good," Kevin warned her, "Are you sure you don't want me…"

"I'm sure I can handle it," Mia nodded her head. She held out her Samuraizer, "Besides, I'll be taking this with me. If I need you, I'll call."

"Enjoy your run," Jayden smiled to her and Mia took that as her cue to run off. Just before she reached the end of the Shiba Yard, though, she heard someone calling her name. She turned around and saw Emily with the dog.

"Can I come with you?" Emily asked as Scruffy tugged on the leash, pulling Emily closer and closer to Mia so he could get a good whiff of the pink Ranger. Mia sighed. She looked at the house.

"I just told the guys I wanted to be alone," Mia said.

Emily nodded her head and looked down at her feet, "Oh, okay…"

"What's wrong?" Mia sighed. Emily looked up at her.

"Scruffy needs a walk and Serena and James are busy with Terran. He made a mess."

"So?"

"I grew up in the country," Emily said, "I've never been to the city before. The busiest place we had back home was the fair… and I knew everyone there."

"You don't know your way around the city," Mia said as it dawned on her. She knew she couldn't let Emily venture out on her own. She couldn't remember what the yellow Ranger used to do when she would walk the dog, but surely if they had been at the Shiba House for a year and a half, Emily would have figured out her way around the city. Now, without her memories, it was like day one all over again. "Well, what about Mike? He seems to be taking care of you quite a bit. A lot of the pictures on your wall had him in them."

"He's harder to wake up than you are."

Mia bit her lip, "Alright, I guess you can come. But I want peace and quiet. This isn't our bedtime chats, okay?"

"I'll be quiet," Emily promised and mimicked zipping her mouth shut. Suddenly Scruffy darted ahead, barking loudly, and he tugged Emily with him. Mia rolled her eyes as the dog chased after a squirrel until the small creature ran up into a tree.

She caught up to Emily and Scruffy and she gave the dog a look. Scruffy understood instantly and didn't make another sound until Mia and Emily were in the city and the Samuraizers started to buzz. Mia groaned as Emily answered the Samuraizer.

"So much for a jog," she said.

"There's a Nighlok," Emily told her and she put her Samuraizer in her pocket, "Jayden said he's not too far from where we are."

Mia opened her Samuraizer and checked the signal, "It's at the factor. Follow me."

"But what about Scruffy?"

Mia turned around and remembered the dog, "He must know his way home," she unclipped his leash from his collar, "Home!"

This time it was Scruffy's turn to give Mia a look. He wasn't going to leave.

"Whatever," Mia grabbed Emily's arm and started to pull her along, "We'll come back for him later. He's got his collar anyways. C'mon!"

As soon as they started to run, Scruffy ran with them. The closer they got to the factory, the more he started to pull ahead.

"Go, go Samurai!" Mia and Emily shouted as they traced their symbols and morphed. Though they had no memory of their last four years, they hadn't lost any of their skill. It was fortunate, given their duties. They didn't need to remember much to keep the city safe.

A wave of people rushed by them. The girls knew they were getting close. Scruffy kept running away faster and faster until suddenly the Nighlok jumped out from around the corner. Scruffy lunged. He bit into the Nighlok's leg but suddenly the monster disappeared.

"Okay," Mia skidded to a stop after seeing that, "I might not remember how we used to do it, but something tells me Nighlok were never that easy to destroy."

"Maybe it's a trick," Emily suggested. She was about to start running again when her Samuraizer went off. She picked it up, "What?"

"Duplicator," it was Serena on the other end, "He can make mirror images of himself. His copies are easy to take out, but be careful; he can make hundreds of them. You'll need to find the real one and destroy him."

"Did you get that?" Emily looked to Mia. The pink Ranger nodded her head. They raced around the corner and saw the boys had already arrived and were fighting with all the copies of the Nighlok. Even Scruffy was getting into the battle by snapping at as many monsters as he could get.

"Earth Slicer!" Emily shouted and launched her Shuriken through the crowd, careful to only hit the Nighlok, not her friends. Mia was about to summon her fan when she noticed one civilian down the alley. He seemed completely oblivious to the attack.

"Hey, you!" she called but he didn't respond. She furrowed her brow and then saw the Rangers on the ground, withering in pain. They had taken care of Nighlok copies, but the real one had blasted them off their feet.

"Rangers, Rangers, on the ground. You look pretty lost, but guess what I found. I know who's the coolest guy around!"

As the Nighlok advanced on her team, ready to finish them off, Mia jumped in. She fought him off only for a moment before he suddenly fell to his knees.

"Not cool!" he cried out, "I'm dried out!" he pushed himself back to his feet while Mia went to help her team, "You got lucky this time, Rangers."

There was a red glow from a crack under his feet before the Nighlok sunk into the ground, disappearing completely. Mia knew enough to understand he was gone to the Netherworld and the Rangers had some time to rest.

Mia glanced down the alley again. The stranger was still sitting, completely lost and unaware of the world around him.

"You guys head back without me," she said, "I want to check up on that guy over there."

Kevin nodded his head before he and the other Rangers headed home, exhausted from their fight. One Nighlok was usually enough. Having to face several at once was a real workout.

Mia powered down and approached the stranger. He seemed vaguely familiar when she caught the side of his face, but she still had no idea who he was.

"The monster's gone," she told him and he looked up. He seemed to have some black markings on his face, and his hair was a mess. It looked like he had been caught in the fight, or an explosion. Whatever it was, it seemed that, for the most part, he had escape unharmed. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, it's you," he said and kicked the ground with his boot, "Long time no see."

"How long?" Mia asked. She couldn't remember him, but it was impossible to remember everyone from her past. Was he an old friend, or someone she met in the last four years?

"Not sure, really," he shrugged his shoulders, "Long enough."

"Um, okay…"

"Why are you here?" he asked her and looked up curiously, "Aren't we supposed to stay away from each other? You know, so the Nighlok don't get me."

"Why would the Nighlok get you?"

"Because I know who you are," Mia saw the stranger giving her a strange look. Then he wiped his face with his rag, cleaning off the ash and dirt, "It's me, Spike, Emily's friend."

At least she had a name, and she knew she met him through Emily, which meant all memories of him were gone. She took a seat next to him on the stack of crate and sighed.

"Oh… about that…"

"What?"

"Sorry… I have no idea who you are. You see, I was… in an accident, recently and the last four years of my life are… gone."

"An accident?" Spike asked her, "Like, a Nighlok accident?"

"Nighlok?"

"You know, those monsters you fight. You remember being the pink Ranger, right?"

"How do you know about that?"

"I figured it out. I figured it out a while ago. If you forgot you can ask Emily. She'll tell you."

"Uh… Emily was kind of in the accident with me."

"The Nighlok attack? Is she okay?"

Mia nodded her head, "Her last four years are gone too, but from what I can tell, she's okay. What about you? There was a Nighlok just a little ways away and you were sitting here completely zoned out."

Spike let out a heavy sigh, "Sorry. I should have been paying closer attention, it's just…"

He sighed again and trailed off. Mia put her hand on his shoulder.

"You can tell me. I'm a good listener."

Spike took in a deep breath, "I'm a loser!"

"Why do you think that?"

"Because I got fired from three jobs today," Spike answered. "If you forgot everything then you probably don't remember I live with my Uncle Bulk. We're in training to be Samurai. From time to time I get emails from Emily telling us what to work on and how to do it… but we're not very good."

"And you think you're a loser because you're not a good Samurai? I've been a Samurai all my life and I'm still not amazing at it."

"Amazing enough," Spike muttered, "That's not why I think I'm a loser. Uncle Bulk and I have been training a lot. Too much, even. His rent is overdue and he doesn't have the money to pay it off. I thought I could get a job and help him. You know how Samurai work together. But every job I try… I'm no good. I got fired from all three, almost right off the bat, too. And if I can't get a job… how can I help Uncle Bulk?"

"You're a really sweet kid, Spike," Mia smiled, "It's nice of you to help your uncle."

"How can I do that if I don't have a job? Intentions are great, but they don't pay the bills."

"You said Emily would email you lessons from time to time, right?"

"Yahuh," Spike nodded his head. "Like, once every couple of months. Just, you know, to check up on me, to make sure the Nighlok aren't coming after me. She would always end the email with some lessons for me to suggest to Uncle Bulk."

"Well, here's a lesson for you: never give up. What do you think would happen if the Samurai faced a Nighlok they couldn't beat and they gave up?"

"We would be in a lot of trouble," Spike said.

Mia nodded, "Yeah. Look, Spike, you're not going to find the perfect job right off the bat, but I'm sure it's out there. A sweet, thoughtful kid like you, who wouldn't want to hire you. Just keep at it, okay?"

Spike smiled at Mia, "You're right."

"And leave the rent to your uncle," Mia chuckled, "It's sweet that you want to help out, and if you can, that's great, but your uncle's going to figure something out. You don't need to worry about that. Enjoy being a kid."

"Thanks, Mia," he pulled her in for a hug, which Mia accepted. He couldn't help but blush a little when he felt her arms around him. Though he knew she was engaged and she wouldn't ever be interested in his romantically, he did still have a little bit of a crush on her. As she pulled away and got up, he gave her another smile, "I hope you remember the last four years. It must suck forgetting everything."

"Not quite everything," Mia smirked, "You came to the Shiba House once, right? And you followed us to a Nighlok attack and that's how you found out."

"You remembered?"

Mia nodded, "It's coming back to me," she started to jog off, "Take care, Spike!"

With the danger averted, and Spike feeling a bit better, Mia was comfortable leaving him on his own and decided she could get her morning jog done after all. The others were home and she could run the rest of the way back.

As she turned back to the spot the Nighlok attacked, determined to get home, she saw a figure crouching over the crack the Nighlok had sunk into. Though it was rather warm out, he was wearing a thick sweater and a hood. He didn't look to be good news at all, and if he was creeping around the spot the Nighlok attacked, he couldn't be.

She clutched her Samuraizer in her hand, just in case she needed it, "Hey!" she called and her voice startled him. He jumped upright and turned to look at her. As he did this, his hood fell of his head.

"Pink Ranger?"

Mia was frozen for a moment as another memory hit.

"_I have plans for the two of you."_

_Mia pulled Emily up to her feet and she started to run. Though she was tired from working on the Samurai Gigazord, she still had enough energy to get to a safer room, where she could put a door between herself and Emily, and everyone else in the house, which would give her and Emily more time to run to safety. Emily, however, had been training with Sakura, and Mia had heard the screams. Emily had taken a beating and could barely walk another step without Mia's support._

"_Grab them!"_

_Suddenly, Mia felt Emily being ripped away from her. Before she could turn around to help the yellow Ranger, she felt a pair of arms grab her and something sharp was pressed into her arm. Mia screamed in pain before everything went black._

"Harada…" Mia breathed. She shook her head, "The others… they said…"

"I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Seems you do too. You're awake much earlier than expected. I could have sworn I at least had you and the yellow Ranger down for the count."

Mia didn't stick around any longer. The memory of what Harada had done, and what he had forced Shin and the other mentors to do to her was too painful to bear.

Mia got her morning jog, but it wasn't relaxing at all.


	106. The Doctor's Return

No one knew what had happened. One minute they were lying in the dojo, exhausted from their fight and all wondering how they would defeat the duplicating Nighlok, and the next Mia had stormed into the house and collapsed in the hallway in tears. Kevin was instantly by her side and he held her in his arms. Mia clung onto him life her life depended on it as she sobbed into his shoulder.

The memories kept coming after she had seen Harada's face. In those memories, she saw the faces of Shin and the other mentors, which triggered so many more painful memories Mia couldn't bear it anymore. She had only just made it home before it was all too much. She had burst into tears the second she opened the front door and could not tell her friends what was wrong.

Eventually, Kevin got her to settle down and she whispered what she had remembered and who she had seen in his ear. For a moment Kevin looked angry, but he didn't let Mia see it. He hugged her tight and swore to her she was safe until she started to let him go. At that point he broke away from her and stormed up to his feet.

"The factory?" he asked her. Mia nodded her head.

"Dude, what's up?"

"Come with me," Kevin said to Mike. The green Ranger looked to the others then shrugged his shoulders and followed Kevin.

Serena put Terran in James' arms and she knelt down beside Mia. She wrapped her arms around the pink Ranger.

"What happened?"

"I was talking with Spike," Mia wiped the tears from her cheeks with the back of her wrist.

"Who is Spike?" Emily asked. Serena signalled for her to be quiet so Mia could continue.

"I walked away and there was a man… Harada…"

"Psycho doctor?" Antonio knelt down in front of Mia, "No way! He left with Shin and the other mentors. They were supposed to take care of him."

"They would have," Ji nodded his head, "My family may have mistreated you, but they would not have let Harada walk off scot-free. Are you sure…"

"It was him," Mia nodded her head, "I remember… I remember Shin ringing the doorbell… I remember training with the mentors… I remember why you guys left…"

"Who is Spike, who is Shin, who is Harada?" Emily asked.

"You don't remember any of them?" Jayden asked her. "Shin and Harada are the ones who did this to you?"

"They did this," Emily nodded and she remembered having that talk, "but what did they do? Why does she remember?"

"You're saying Harada's out there?" Serena asked Mia, who nodded her head. She got up to her feet and started for the door. James called her back.

"You do remember he was only after them to kill you, right?"

"Yep," Serena nodded. She looked to James, "But you saw what he did to the Rangers and what he did to Mia and Emily. They can't remember…"

"And beating him up will help with that?" James asked. "Serena, Mia only said she saw him…"

"He talked to me too," Mia said.

"He's not bothering us. He won't fool us again…"

"James," Serena growled, "This is personal. If this son of a bitch thinks he can…"

"You're going to get yourself killed, and then what?"

"Just call Kevin and Mike back," Serena said. "They've got a Nighlok to stop. I'll take care of Harada."

With that, Serena left. Before she got too far Emily started to run for the door. Jayden caught her and pulled her back. Emily screamed her sister's name but Serena didn't come back. Eventually her knees buckled and she fell into Jayden's arms. He slowly lowered her to the ground and he sat with her, holding her gently while Antonio took care of Mia. All the noise had Terran startled, giving James another problem to worry about.

Ji didn't like this, but convincing Serena to come home was going to be difficult. She had too much against Harada to simply call off her mission and turn around. So he dialled for Mike and Kevin and called them back.

-Samurai-

After Mike and Kevin got the call ordering them back home, they took their time. Kevin was still fuming mad after what Mia told him and needed some time to calm down and get his emotions in check before he was back in the house, and Mike tagged along with him, unsure of why they left, and unsure why they were being called back.

But there was one thought on his mind. Though all he really cared about was Emily being happy, it bothered him how little time she was spending on him, and how little she was leaning on him for help. The one time she had approached him he knew he had gotten close to triggering a memory for her, but Serena had interrupted them. Since then, Emily hadn't come back to him. She was either with Serena or with Mia.

Kevin, meanwhile, had Mia by his side constantly, and she seemed to remember their first date, and had pieced together that they had been engaged. Mike wanted to know how Kevin did it.

"It must be a confidence builder," he said, "for your relationship, I mean. She barely knows you, and she still trusts you with everything."

Kevin looked up from kicking rocks and nodded his head, "It means a lot to me, but I'll be honest, she's kind of frustrating me too. I get it's not her fault… but she can't remember anything more than our first date. No matter how many pictures I show her, or how many times I try to remind her… nothing."

"And you're whining?" Mike stopped in his tracks and glared at Kevin, "Dude, you need a serious reality check if you think that's nothing. When we first found out they had no memories, we weren't sure they would ever get them back. Now you're whining because you're fiancée's starting to fall back in love with you again? After all the shit you've been through, you two haven't broken up once! Mia loves you whether she knows it or not. She loves you with all her heart and doesn't need her brain or her memories to feel it. And she trusts you! I'd kill for that. Emily… she…"

"She loves you," Kevin nodded his head. "She blushes when you walk by. When we're having dinner and you tell a joke, she's the first to laugh and the last to stop. She's probably not clinging onto you, but I doubt you've lost her."

"She's just… she's always with Serena or Mia…"

"Mia's in the same boat as her," Kevin said. "They've bonded, Mike. No one else in the house knows what they're going through except them. Obviously they'll stick together. You don't see me whining because Mia chose to take Emily on her run instead of me."

"You're whining now," Mike muttered.

"And Serena's the one person Emily can remember. Of course she'll stay close to her sister, and I doubt she'll start flirting with you when Serena's watching her all the time."

Mike pouted and dragged his feet as he followed Kevin back to the Shiba House. Just before they reached the door he started to laugh. Kevin turned to him.

"Now what?"

"We're being ridiculous," Mike chuckled. "Obviously our fiancée's love us."

"Well, yeah, but…"

"But nothing," Mike shook his head. "Emily probably doesn't remember anything about me, but she did tell me she remembered having fun. That one time I got her alone… it was like nothing had happened. I should feel lucky. Things could have been worse for me."

"You, you, you," Kevin rolled his eyes and smirked, "Your fiancée's forgotten the last four years of her life, and all you can think about is you."

"I wonder where I got that from," Mike gently punched Kevin in the arm and then looked up at the blue Ranger, "Everything will be okay, right?"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded, "They're getting memories back. It's not necessarily good memories, but we know it's possible. They'll remember us eventually; we just need to give them time."

"I've never been good with patience…"

"Good things come to those who wait," Kevin winked. Suddenly they heard a crash on the other side of the door. Kevin quickly opened the door and saw Mia still sitting on the floor where he had left her. She was curled up in Antonio's arms, but when Kevin called her name she jumped into his.

Mike looked around. Only Mia and Antonio were in the hallway.

"Serena left," Antonio said to Mike as he stood up, "Emily's freaking out."

"What do you mean, Serena left?" Mike asked. Mentor had failed to include that when they had spoken.

"She went after Harada. James stupidly told her, in front of Emily, that she was going to get herself killed."

"Harada himself isn't dangerous," Mike said, "His plans are dangerous."

"Either way, Serena left, Emily's not happy about it," Antonio pointed to the common room. Mike turned around. He saw Jayden had Emily pinned to the ground. A few feet from her head was one of Ji's bonsai that has fallen and had created the crashing sound Mike and Kevin had heard on the other side of the door.

All Jayden could do to keep Emily from hurting herself or someone else was keep her pinned on the ground, but Mike could see how it was getting nowhere. Emily wouldn't calm down if she felt trapped, and the more she struggled and screamed for Jayden to let her go, the tighter he held her.

"Dude, get off!" Mike ripped Jayden away from Emily and pushed the red Ranger to the ground. Emily got up as soon as Jayden was off and she ran to the corner of the room. She curled up into a ball and stared at Mike and Jayden. Tears streamed down her cheeks.

Mike knelt down and kept his distance to give her the space she was comfortable with. He looked her in the eyes, "Did you remember something."

She shook her head, "Serena promised she would never leave."

"Serena's smart," Mike told her, "She's gone now, but she'll be back, I promise."

"And you're…"

"Not leaving."

"Like you promised?"

Mike smiled and nodded his head, "Yeah, Em, just like I promised. It's going to be okay."

"Mike…"

"Yeah."

"I'm scared."

Mike crawled over to her and wrapped her in his arms, "I'll protect you."


	107. Don't Want To Be Protected

The Rangers knew what they needed to do. They couldn't waste their time with Harada until the Nighlok was defeated. They hated to leave him wandering the city, but Harada was no threat to the civilians, he was only a threat to the Rangers. The Rangers knew they had to focus on destroying the Nighlok to keep the city safe, and then they could go after Harada, and hopefully Serena.

They worked all day on coming up with a plan but nothing worked. No matter what they did, they Duplicator would only replicate. Even when they cut down his numbers, before they could land the final strike, he would copy himself again.

"There's got to be something about his face," Kevin paced the room and as he reached a lamp he turned it on. It was getting dark, and the Rangers were going to need to see. They were already stressed enough with a Nighlok to face and Harada on the loose.

Ji had been trying to contact his father and siblings, hoping for some information on how the doctor had escaped, but it was a task that was almost, if not impossible. Ji hadn't contacted his family in years, and had been forbidden from doing so. He didn't have any addresses or phone numbers or even email, and looking them up in the phonebook had proven to be futile. They weren't on the map at all.

Mike continued with the conversation about the Nighlok, "There's got to be something about the real one that we didn't notice."

"Maybe the fakes don't cast reflections," Emily suggested as she leaned in closer to Mike, "Like vampires."

"Vampires?" Mike furrowed his brow and chuckled, "This coming from the girl who is afraid of zombies? Has Mia been reading you her Twilight books?"

Jayden, who had stepped away from the conversation for a moment, came back with the Lightzord in his hand, "I think I have the answer. It's almost dark outside now. It's high powered beam could shine through the Nighlok's tricks."

"That might work," Kevin nodded. "Those copies were just clouds of smoke. So if we shine the light through the fakes, we can find the real Nighlok."

"It's worth a shot," Antonio agreed.

-Samurai-

"Honestly," Serena muttered as she skidded around a corner and continued her pursuit. For a smart man, Harada was conveniently stupid. First, he left his hostages in the one place she could find him. Now, after chasing Mia away, he didn't stray too far from the factory. Serena had to wonder what he thought was going to happen after Mia ran away.

When he saw her approaching, he turned and ran. He hid himself in various places, but Serena always found him before he could slip away. This game of cat and mouse lasted well into the evening. Serena was tired, but she could see Harada growing more and more exhausted as the sun fell. She, despite her eight years of sickness and her recent pregnancy, was at the prime of her life. He looked like he was ready to fall over dead on a good day. She couldn't imagine all this running was doing him any good.

She caught up to him as he jumped up a ladder and tried to climb beyond her reach. Serena, however, was taller than he was, and when she jumped she could reach pretty high. She grabbed his clothing and yanked him right off the ladder. He fell on top of her but she already had him exactly where she wanted him. She rolled over him so she was on top and pressed her arm against his throat. She pinned him to the ground.

"You've threatened to kill my son," she growled and wanted him to know this was personal, "You've threatened to kill me. You threatened to kill Shin's grandchildren…"

"You're a Nighlok!" Harada coughed out.

"What did you do to my sister?" Serena spat out.

-Samurai-

It was hard to feel at home in the Shiba House. Though she trusted her team and knew that no matter what they would have her back, Mia still hated not knowing anything. She hated being told facts about her own life which she couldn't remember. She hated how people were tiptoeing around her, treating her as fragile. She had broken down after seeing Harada, and the thought of him and what he had done still terrified her, but she could take care of herself.

It was for that reason Mia learned she loved fighting the Nighlok. It wasn't something to wish for, but when the Gap Sensor went off, she knew to jump into action. One reason she believed the other Samurai when they told her she had forgotten the last four years of her live was that she was somehow better in her abilities than what she could remember. When she didn't try too hard, skills she hadn't been able to do properly four years before, she had mastered. Though her mind had forgotten everything, it seemed her body hadn't been affected at all.

And when she found herself in the Ranger suit, she knew exactly what needed to be done. None of the weapons confused her. Everything just came to her naturally.

The plan with the Lightzord had worked. When the Rangers shined the light on the Nighlok, all his mirror images disappeared, leaving only to original. Unfortunately, even alone, the Nighlok was still a strong fighter. The Rangers needed a little more power to defeat him.

As Antonio knocked him down with an attack from the Lightzord, Mia and the other Samurai got back to their feet. Suddenly, Mia saw Jayden holding out the Black Box to her.

"You do the honours," he said to her. Mia took the Black Box and she nodded her head. She couldn't wait to feel the powers of the Black Box again, though she was sure this wasn't the first time she had used it.

"Super Samurai Mode!" she cried out and she felt the power coursing through her. Everything slowed down and for once there wasn't a single doubt in her mind. She knew exactly what needed to be done. "Super Spin Sword! Super Air Wave!"

With a single, but very powerful swing of her sword, Mia cut the Nighlok down.

-Samurai-

Harada tried to get up, but Serena pushed him back down, "What did you do to my sister?"

"I wanted her dead," Harada tried again to get up. This time Serena grabbed his shirt and pushed him against a wall.

"Keep talking," she told him.

"I wanted her dead after she killed you. You've poisoned all the Samurai. You and your…"

"Am I not a Nighlok!" Serena screamed. "What did you do to her? Why can't she remember anything? Tell me what you know!"

"If she remembered you, she wouldn't kill you," Harada said. "If I wanted to get her and the pink Ranger to fight for me, I was going to have to erase their memories."

"You confused them, I get it," Serena nodded, "but I gave them an antidote…"

"You stopped them from dying, but it seems my poison worked well enough, if they've forgotten…"

"You do did do this?" Serena asked. "You erased their memories?"

"They were supposed to be dead by now," Harada nodded his head. "I didn't care whether or not they kept any memories. What good are memories to the dead?"

"So… so wait a minute," Serena let go of Harada and took a step back. She chuckled, "You… you gave my sisters… both my little sisters, a poison that would kill them. And Serrator, the big, bad, evil, scum of the Netherworld Serrator… actually gave me the cure? And you think I'm bad news? You're so terrible the Nighlok are doing more good than you!"

"You're laughing?"

"I may be the worst kind of Nighlok," Serena nodded her head, "but you're worse than the Nighlok! You are actually worse than me," she drew her Samuraizer and smirked, "This should be fun."

"You… You can't kill me," Harada shook his head. "The code! The Samurai code…"

"Oh, I'm not going to kill you," Serena smiled. "But you're obviously a slimy little bastard. You escaped, didn't you?"

"I'm commonly underestimated," Harada answered nervously. "I may be old…"

"Then hopefully you won't suffer too long," Serena traced a symbol. As soon as it struck Harada, all expression left his face. It reminded Serena of the time Emily had been mute and trapped inside her own mind.

This was exactly what she wanted. Harada was still very much alive, but there would be no more worrying about him. His mind was his prison. No matter where he was, he was a prisoner, and he was completely harmless.

As Serena tucked her Samuraizer away and watched Harada walk off aimlessly, just like he would do until death took him naturally, she fell to her knees. Anything was possible with symbols, but the energy required gave the Samurai limits. Trapping a person inside their own mind took a lot of energy.

-Samurai-

More power. Mia didn't think there was anything more powerful than the Black Box, but the Shogun Mode proved her wrong. All the armour kept her feeling safe, and while it was very heavy, it gave her the strength, power, and focus she needed to defeat the Nighlok for good. The Megazord did as she commanded and a shower of sparks erupted from the fallen beast. Finally, he was gone and the city could get the sleep they deserved.

"That was awesome!" Mike cried excitedly as he bounced at the console beside hers. "Dude, are we all going to get a turn as Shogun?"

He looked to Jayden who shook his head and laughed, "We'll see how the battles work out."

Jayden powered down the Zords and Megazords and in the blink of an eye the Rangers were back at street level. Mia gave the Black Box and all its disks back to Jayden for safekeeping. She was happy at the chance to use them, but sad at the same time. All that power and knowledge, and the strength she felt as a Samurai was suddenly gone. She was back to being Mia, the Mia who had forgotten everything about the last four years. The Mia who needed to be protected at all times.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Jayden asked her with a smile.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Hey," Kevin looked to her strangely "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Mia nodded and didn't consider it a lie. She _was_ okay; there was still just a lot on her mind. There were still a lot of questions and no answers. She would get her memories back, but it would be a while, and while she waited she was still left feeling scared, weak, and extremely confused.

She looked around the city. It was quite depressing after the Megazord battle. This section was going to have to be rebuilt quite a bit. But the one thing that really stuck out for Mia was just how dark the city was. Anything could have been lurking just around the corner, waiting to jump out at her. There was possibly an enemy only a little ways off from where she was standing, and with her memory, it was quite likely she wouldn't know it until they were staring her in the face, just like Harada and she doubted all of them were going to be as old and frail as the doctor. She couldn't help but wonder what would happen the next time.

She turned to look at Emily, to see if the yellow Ranger had somehow come to a similar conclusion, but Emily was focused on her Ape Disk. There was something else on Emily's mind; hopefully it wasn't something as bleak as what Mia was thinking about.

"Emy," she called and the yellow Ranger looked up, "The Nighlok's gone. Crack a smile."

Emily nodded her head and smile, though it was obvious it was forced. Mia decided against sharing her worries with the yellow Ranger. She already had enough troubling her. All her memories seemed to be bad ones and she had already said she was scared. Mia didn't need to add onto Emily's nightmares. Instead she would just keep her close; keep her safe.

"C'mon," Mia held out her hand for Emily to take, "Why don't we go see if Serena's back home?"

Emily tucked her Ape Disk away in her pocket and she took Mia's hand. She stuck close to the pink Ranger on the way home.

Mia looked around at the boys as they walked. She hated being coddled. She knew they were only looking after her because they cared, but Mia wasn't one who needed to be looked after. She looked after others.


	108. Remembering Is A Walk In The Park

Another downside to forgetting: Emily couldn't remember her place on the Ranger team. After the fight, she thought quite a bit about everything that had happened. Antonio had used _his_ Lightzord to take down the monster. Mia had been given the chance to power up into Super Samurai. Then, Mia had summoned the Zords, including a _second Zord_ for Antonio: the Clawzord. When the Rangers needed a little more help and power to finish off the Nighlok, Mia had powered up into Shogun Mode and she had been the one to summon the Battle Cannon from _Jayden's_ Tiger Zord_, Mike's _Beetle Zord, _Kevin's_ Swordfish Zord, and _Antonio's_ Octozord.

It seemed everyone had more power than her. Everyone had been trusted with more weapons than her. In the Megazord cockpit she had basically sat on the sidelines. With the exception of a few attacks where she was needed to assist, she could have just walked out and it wouldn't have made a difference.

It was then she remembered something, and it once again it wasn't a pleasant memory.

Jayden had mastered the Beetle Zord and he had rescued the Tiger Zord. Jayden had asked Kevin to retrieve the Swordfish Zord. When plans for the Battlewing required the Zords to be spread out amongst the team, Kevin had been allowed to keep the Swordfish, and Jayden the Tiger. Originally, Mia had been asked to pilot the Beetle Zord, but she gave up her chance when Mike showed he not only wanted it, but he had worked to earn it.

Emily had never been considered for anything. Even Antonio, the Ranger who shouldn't be, had more weapons and Zords than she did. And in battle, when Jayden pulled out the Black Box, she had seen him hand it right over to Mia. He hadn't even considered her.

Emily just had her Ape. Her lonely little Ape. And he Ape didn't even seem that important anymore when all the Zords combined. In fact, her ape was hanging off the tail of the Megazord. She was just an accessory; just there and virtually useless.

"You girls are quiet," Jayden remarked as they approached the house.

Mia hadn't said much either. She didn't know what to say. She didn't know what to do. She had loved being a Ranger and fighting, and she had loved feeling like she was back on even ground with the boys. She knew the memory loss made her weak and vulnerable, but she hated it. She trusted the boys when they told her they were her friends. She could even remember her date with Kevin, and she remembered the boys and Serena had left her and Emily with Shin and the mentors in order to rescue her, but there was so much more she needed to know. Her head felt like a giant question mark. All these people around her were her friends and yet she really had no idea who they were or what her relationship with them was.

It was for that reason she clung onto Emily just as tightly as Emily clung onto her. With Emily it was even ground. She didn't remember Emily and Emily didn't remember her. They had started a relationship from point zero, where it was supposed to start, and they had built something there. There were no expectation and no past that Mia couldn't remember. It was all fair.

"We just have a lot to think about," Mia said and she hugged Emily a little tighter.

"Anything we can help you with?" Kevin asked. Mia knew he was just trying to help, but she was sick and tired of it. Her memories would come when they came. There was nothing he, or anyone else could do except be patient and give her room. When there was too much stress and pressure to remember, her whole mind felt blank.

"Just give me some room for a few days."

"If this is about Harada…"

"I know what he did," Mia growled and Kevin took a step back. "I know to be careful around him."

She hugged Emily closer. The more they tried to take care of her, the more she felt the need to look after Emily. She hated feeling dependent and as long as she had someone to look after she felt some independence.

"Don't worry about him," the Rangers turned around when they heard Serena behind them. A bright smile finally lit up Emily's face as she peeled herself away from Mia and jumped into her sister's arms. Serena was still tired from the symbol she had used on Harada, but caught her balance and found her strength fast enough to avoid being knocked over by her little sister. "Really, Emy, seventeen years and you think I'd leave you now?"

"You just stormed out," Emily wrapped her arms tightly around Serena's neck as she clung onto her sister; terrified she would lose her again. "James said you were going to die."

"Don't believe him, Emy," Serena laughed. She lowered Emily back to the ground. Her tired muscles couldn't handle her sister's weight much longer. "Besides, what's so dangerous about an old, fragile man completely lost in his own mind?"

"What did you do?" Jayden asked, knowing she had been up to something.

"It won't take long before someone reports a strange old man to the authorities and they take care of him. Old age home, funeral home, doesn't matter to me," Serena smiled and then looked to Mia, knowing how upset Harada had made her, "He's out of our hair for good now."

"That's great," Mia muttered. There were still other monsters out there. Surely after a year and a half of this Ranger business, Mia had made more than one enemy.

"Also, the antidote Serrator gave me, it was real," this time Serena looked to the boys, "Harada admitted the serum he gave Mia and Emily attacked their memories. It was supposed to kill them. Serrator's antidote stopped that."

"So… Serrator helped us?" Mike asked then shook his head, "That makes no sense. Why would he just help us?"

"Dunno," Serena shrugged her shoulders and quickly averted her gaze. How long before they knew what she had done? Serrator's help hadn't come without a cost.

"He gave you the antidote," Kevin looked to Serena, "Didn't he say anything?"

Serena shook her head, "Nothing important."

-Samurai-

For the second morning in a row, Mia wanted to go for a jog, and this time she invited Emily to come with her. She wanted peace and quiet, but most of all, she wanted to feel normal, like there was nothing wrong. She had so much swimming through her head, and the few memories she had were stirred up inside her brain, jumbled, that it was nice to get away from it all.

So she had taken Emily and Scruffy with her on a jog to the park, and then let the dog go free for a game of catch. Well, Emily played catch. Mia would not touch the slobbery ball if her life depended on it.

Emily seemed happier away from everyone else as well. Just like Mia, her mood had fallen quite a bit after the battle, and Mia hadn't wanted to share her worries with Emily. Life was already hard enough with all the stress from their missing memories, Mia didn't want to add anything else on. Emily was, after all, still only just a kid. She was young to begin with, but without the four years, she seemed even younger. This life was not a life for children, and the more Mia could shelter Emily, the better off, and safer she would be.

"He's loyal," she said about Scruffy as the dog returned the ball again and waited for Emily to throw it. Emily nodded happily as she tossed the ball as far as she could. She walked over to the bench and sat down beside Mia.

"I still don't remember him, but he's always by my side when I need him. And I don't have to remember him or anything. He doesn't care. He's just happy I'm still playing with him."

"It's a lot of pressure back home, huh?"

Emily's mood suddenly sunk. Scruffy came back with the ball and she tossed it away again. He went after it.

"You okay?" Mia asked, "You've been kind of down since the battle?"

"Super Samurai Mode seems kind of cool. And Shogun Mode."

"It did feel pretty awesome," Mia smiled and she nudged Emily gently, "Maybe you'll get a shot soon."

"I doubt it," Emily sighed.

"Why?"

"All I have is the Ape Zord. I don't have any special power ups, or weapons or Zords. Jayden's never considered me for anything. In that fight, I wasn't even needed," Emily took a deep breath and looked around, "Why am I even on the team? I'm obviously not good enough…"

"Stop it," Mia growled sternly, "You shouldn't be talking about yourself like that. Jayden had to give the Black Box to someone…"

"Jayden and Antonio both have Zords coming out of their butts," Emily muttered. "I've seen the disk collections and the pictures on my memory wall. Every time a new Zord comes up, Jayden's the first considered for it, and if he doesn't get it, one of the boys do. And you're right there with them. That Beetle Zord originally belonged to you."

"It did?"

"And you gave it to Mike. Jayden and Mentor know you're good. I wasn't considered."

"Emily…"

"And on that Megazord last night, do you know where the Ape ended up? On the butt!"

"The Turtle was there too…"

"But you were Super Samurai and Shogun!"

"It doesn't matter where you are. The power from the…"

"Power? Like a powerful fart? That's all you can do as the butt, Mia!"

"Emily…"

"And _all_ my memories are bad. What good am I to the team if I'm always bringing trouble, causing trouble, or in trouble…"

"I need you," Mia took Emily's hand. "I won't speak for the others, you know I can't, but I need you here. You're the only one who understands this hell…"

"Because I'm in trouble…"

"Look at me," Mia held Emily's chin and forced the yellow Ranger to look at her, "I need you. You're not a burden for me, and you're certainly not the butt. Right now everything's confusion and we're all in a bit of a mess, but you were, and you still are on this team for a reason. A very important reason. Don't give up on yourself because you can't remember."

"But…"

"Don't," Mia interrupted with a shake of her head. She looked back at Emily, "You know the one thing I know for sure?"

"What?"

"I love you," Mia smiled and pulled Emily into her arms.

Emily hugged Mia tight, "I love you too."

They stayed wrapped in each other's arms for a moment before Mia felt something wet fall onto her lap. Her heart sunk.

"Emy?" she asked without moving a muscle.

"Yeah."

"Please tell me you wet yourself."

Emily chuckled and she pulled away from Mia's arms. She shook her head and pointed to Mia's lap, "Looks like Scruffy wants you to play."

"That is so gross," Mia flicked the ball off her lap and Scruffy caught it in his mouth. Emily laughed.

"It's just drool. You should have seen the chores my parents made me do back home. Dog drool is nothing compared to manure."

"You poor, poor child," Mia shook her head and laughed until Scruffy tried to drop the ball in her lap again. She pulled her feet up on the bench and tried to shoo the dog away. Scruffy just gave her a curious look. He didn't know this game.

Suddenly, the smell of fish filled the air. The girls sniffed and Scruffy started to drool. Mia and Emily turned around and saw Antonio holding up a bucket of fish he had just caught at the harbour nearby.

"I saw you girls jog by the harbour," he told them as he sat next to them on the bench. He took the ball from Scruffy's mouth and launched it across the park, "You two enjoying some time away from the house?"

"Just clearing our heads," Mia nodded.

"I was just out fishing," Antonio pointed to the bucket. "It's what I do. I'm a fisherman," he tapped the fishing cart he had pulled behind him; "I sell most of what I catch, though. It gives me a few bucks."

Mia smiled. For once someone was actually introducing himself properly. Antonio didn't have any expectations that she would just remember.

"Antonio's cool," Emily said to Mia, "That pressure you were talking about back home, he doesn't do it. He just makes dogs lick your face."

"Sorry I haven't been around much," Antonio nodded to Mia, "but Jayden's playing with fire. No pun intended. He took a pretty bad hit; I'm sure you've heard, and, as always, he won't just lie down and rest."

"You're around enough," Mia told him.

"You have to forgive the others. You two were pretty close with them. This is hard on them, but I doubt it compares to how hard it is on you."

"You think?"

"Mia," Emily scolded, "be nice. Antonio's fun."

"You two were my friends," Antonio said, "and the way I see it now, you still are. I get I have to tune some stuff down a bit, though."

"He's like Scruffy," Emily nodded, "You don't need your memories with him."

Mia looked to Emily and then sighed. If Emily said Antonio was alright, he had to be alright.

"Sorry," she said, "This forgetting thing… it's a lot of pressure."

"I'm not even thinking about that right now," Antonio said and he glared at Emily, "Did you just compare me to a dog?"

Emily nodded her head and laughed. As Scruffy returned with the ball she threw her arms around his neck, "A dog I love dearly."

"Excuse me, Mia," Antonio said, "Would you mind watching my cart? I have a monster to catch. Em, you better run."

"Be right back!" Emily squealed and she took off running and laughing, and Antonio was right on her tail. He was fast enough to catch up to her, but he was letting her stay one step ahead just to keep the chase going. Mia watched them run around the park and laughed.

Then, just like magic, she could remember Antonio. Not every detail, but she remembered his surprise entrance, his different style, his goofy attitude and his skill with technology. She remembered enough to place him as one of her true friends, and not just a friend because she had been told she was friends with him.

Antonio: the strange misfit who made himself a place on the Samurai team. He got on everyone's nerves, but he always meant well and he was one of the best friends anyone could ever ask for. His heart matched his ranger colour, though she would never tell him that. The last thing she wanted to do was get him started on his gold puns again.


	109. The Freak Out

It was a big accomplishment remembering some_one_ and not just some_thing_. So many things came back to Mia as soon as she recognized Antonio. She remembered all the trouble he caused when he first joined the team, and she remembered how he had rubbed Kevin the wrong way. She remembered he loved playing video games with Mike, and she remembered he was Jayden's best friend. She remembered he had left the team for a while when he was figuring out he was gay, and she remembered Serena had stuck by his side even when he tried to push everyone, especially her, away. Though it was all still very patchy, remembering just one person had answered so many questions in her head; it felt like the world had been lifted off her shoulders.

She told Antonio as soon as he got back from chasing Emily around the park and he swallowed her in a big hug. Then he did something she didn't expect. He started to cry. Mia considered Antonio to be one of her best friends and someone she never wanted to lose, but she had no idea her friendship with him was that strong. He told her it meant a lot that she remembered him and he was happy to have her back. He also told her that in celebration of her remembering, he was going to cook her a special fish dinner, with one of the fish he just caught. This made Mia really happy. Not only could she remember just how delicious his fish was, but she actually got to eat it and enjoy it.

As they walked back to the Shiba House, Emily lagged behind slightly and held Scruffy's leash in her hand. Scruffy kept tugging. He wanted to keep up with Mia and Antonio, but no matter what he tried, he always had to stop and wait for Emily to catch up. When he started to whine, she gave him a pat on the head.

"I can't even remember you…"

When they got home, Antonio called a group meeting so Mia could share her news. He knew it would be somewhat bittersweet that she remembered him first, but if her friends really were her friends, her recovery would come first. It didn't matter what order she remembered them in, as long as her life came back to her.

"Antonio?" Kevin asked her and scratched his head. He was somewhat hurt that Antonio, of all people, was the first to be remembered, but Mia seemed happy she recognized someone, so Kevin managed a smile, "Well, I guess it's better than nothing. What did he do to… trigger your memory?"

"He just acted like himself," Mia shrugged and smiled at the gold Ranger. Finally, she had one of her old friends back. It felt good remembering the past, and never again would she take her memories with her friends or her of life in general for granted. "Just regular Antonio."

"You can't force these things," Antonio said and he looked to Mike and Kevin in particular. He knew they were trying very hard to get their fiancée's to remember them. He didn't blame them though. If Jayden had been the one to lose his memory, he would have been doing everything he could to try and remind the red Ranger of their relationship.

For Mike, a light bulb went off in his head. Emily still hadn't remembered him, but she remembered things about him, and it had been in moments where he wasn't trying to force her memory. When he had gotten frustrated and stormed into the backyard and she had followed him, their conversation naturally turned into playful flirting, just like before they had started dating. After that, Emily had told him she remembered having fun. She didn't remember what was fun or who made the Shiba House fun, but it was still progress.

Then, when Serena walked away to find Harada and Emily freaked out, Mike did as he always did: he made her feel safe. That was when she remembered he had promised he was never going to leave her.

"Makes sense," he nodded his head and smiled. Kevin looked to him, then back to Antonio and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever works," he said as he got up, "I'm going back to training."

"I should get started on dinner," Antonio smiled and bounced from his seat, "Jay, wanna help?"

"Are you actually going to let me near a knife?" Jayden laughed. Since he had been hurt by Shin's Symbol Power, Antonio had been extremely protective. For the longest time, Antonio would have panic attacks when Jayden wanted to get out of bed. The gold Ranger was so worried Jayden would push himself too hard that he was monitoring him like a hawk.

"Butter knives," Antonio teased and shoved the red Ranger into the kitchen. "We've got to work our way up."

"I will continue to work on finding a fast cure to all of this," Ji said as he too got up, "Now that we know it was Harada's poison that caused the memory loss, I think I might be onto something."

"Let us know if you do come up with something," Mia smiled. "This remembering stuff feels good, but the faster I can get back to normal, the better. Right, Emily?"

Emily looked up when she heard her name and saw Mia was waiting for a response. She just nodded her head, "Uh, yeah," she had no idea what she was agreeing to, but there was no way she was starting a debate now, and she also didn't want to start a conversation. She got up and without another word she walked to the hallway.

"I'm going to make sure she's okay," Serena whispered and she gave James a kiss on the cheek before getting up and silently following Emily to wherever she was going. James also left and followed Kevin into the dojo. Now that he was spending more time at the Shiba House, and he was getting more involved with the Nighlok, he thought it would be smart to learn some tricks to defend himself, just in case he got too involved.

Emily wandered around the house. She wasn't paying any attention to where she was going; she was just following the hallway, hoping she wouldn't run into anything. Serena stayed a few paces behind. Ambushing Emily when there was clearly a lot on her mind wasn't the best thing to do. Her sister was strong enough to manage her own problems, and just like before, Serena couldn't expect Emily to grow if she babied her all the time.

Back in the common room, Mia's joy at her memory of Antonio didn't blind her to the fact that Emily was still upset. After her rant in the park, Mia knew Emily's memories were not being kind to her at all. She pulled out her own Samuraizer and her Turtle Disk. Just like Emily, it was all she had. The boys had all the toys and the weapons.

While Mia couldn't remember it for herself, Emily's memories seemed true enough. She believed that she had been considered for the Beetle Disk and originally it was supposed to be her disk. Then, in the cockpit, while she had been focused on the Black Box as well as the Shogun Mode, it hadn't slipped past her who helped her summon the rest of the Zords. Jayden, Kevin, Mike, and Antonio all had more than one Zord.

"Have you been a Super Samurai?" Mia asked as she looked to Mike, the only other Ranger left in the room. Mike nodded his head.

"Everyone has," he said, "Some more than others. Well, Antonio hasn't, but he can't, so he doesn't count."

"Everyone except Antonio, then?"

"Yeah, but Antonio's got the Lightzord, so it's fair, I guess," Mike nodded his head then stopped suddenly, "Oh… no wait. I'm getting my yellows confused. Serena's gone super, not Emily."

"Has she used the Shogun Mode?"

"Emily? Naw, that's still new. Only you and Jayden have. While we're at it, that wasn't actually your first time using the Black Box. We found it with you… well, we know you've used it once before. Hopefully you'll remember when soon."

"Yeah," Mia nodded her head and looked to her Turtle Disk again, "So… was Jayden hit on the head recently?"

"What?" Mike asked and chuckled, "Where did that come from?"

"If everyone's used the Black Box at least once except for Emily… why did Jayden choose me to use it again? Why did he choose me at all? Memory loss, remember?"

"Memory loss, but that has nothing to do with your skills," Mike smiled, "I think you're even better now than before you lost your memories."

"Still, at least it would have looked better if he had just used the Black Box himself."

"Maybe he just thought using it again would trigger a memory."

"Mid battle?" Mia shook her head, "Yeah, because memories are crippling enough when they happen in our downtime. It'll be a very smart move to purposely trigger one right as the Nighlok is coming after us," she said sarcastically.

Mike frowned, "Alright, Mia, what are you really asking?"

"Why do you boys get all the toys?"

"What?"

"Bear Zord and Beetle Zord, right?" she asked him. "And you've used the Black Box?" Mike nodded.

"Well, yeah, but…"

"Kevin: Dragon Zord and Swordfish Zord and he's used the Box."

"Yeah."

"Antonio: Octozord, Clawzord, he can't use the Box, but he's got Lightzord."

"So?"

"Jayden: Lion Zord and Tiger Zord. He's used the Box and he's used Shogun Mode."

"And Bullzord. And once he pulled out the Sharkzord, but you won't remember those."

Mia cocked an eyebrow and then held up her Turtle Disk, "Turtle Zord. And twice, apparently, I've used the Black Box and I know I've used Shogun Mode."

"This isn't a competition. I want to use the Black Box again, but…"

"How about letting Emily have a turn first?" Mia frowned.

Mia's statement hit Mike like a ton of bricks.

-Samurai-

While Mia and Mike spoke in the common room, Serena followed Emily around the house. By now she knew there was something seriously wrong with her little sister because not once had Emily noticed she was being followed. She was so caught up in her own thoughts, she wasn't aware of anyone or anything.

Until Terran started to cry. Serena cursed her son's timing, thinking she would have to leave Emily to take care of him, but Terran's screams drew Emily in. She walked to Serena's bedroom and stepped in. Serena watched from the door as Emily walked to the crib and leaned over. Terran quieted down when he saw his Auntie Emy had come to play with him.

_C'mon, Emy,_ Serena thought as she watched Emily pick up Terran and walk him back over to the bed, _you've got to remember Terran._

Emily laid Terran down on the bed but she wasn't sure how to play with him. She couldn't remember what she normally did with him or what he liked. She didn't even know why he had cried.

But Terran looked up at her with his big, innocent, and playful eyes, ready to be entertained. Emily knew he wanted something. He wanted something from her.

"Stop it," she told him and covered him with his baby blanket. Terran tried to kick it off, but he couldn't quite do it on his own yet. Emily rolled her eyes and pulled the blanket off him. Terran saw her face again and smiled. Emily covered him again. She didn't want to see his smile. When Terran started to kick at the blanket, she pulled it off him and rolled her eyes. Terran saw her face and laughed.

Serena smiled, _C'mon, Emy, _she thought_, you were the first to make Terran laugh. Remember? You have to remember._

"Stop it," Emily said a little more forcefully. She covered Terran with the blanket again and turned her back. After a few moments she heard Terran starting to cry. She groaned and turned around. She pulled the blanket off.

Serena couldn't explain what she saw next. Emily removed the blanket in her very depressing game of peek-a-boo and suddenly froze. Terran's coos and gurgles couldn't draw her back from her thoughts as she started at him, to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. Emily suddenly muttered something, grabbed Serena's pillow and threw it at Terran. He let out a piercing scream when he was hit. Then, Emily smacked him with a pillow again. Serena raced into the bedroom. As Emily tried to hit Terran for a third time she tore the pillow from her hands and pushed Emily back, knocking her to the ground. Serena picked up Terran in her arms and held him gently and safely and tried to calm him down. As she rocked him, she glared at her sister.

"You idiot!"

"I hate you!" Emily screamed back and she had tears streaming down her face.

Serena growled. Her maternal instincts were on high. Not even Emily could get away with hurting her son.

"Get out!" she shouted and pointed to the door. Emily didn't need to be told twice. She pushed herself to her feet and raced out the door. Serena watched her go then looked down at Terran. For the first time in a long time he had turned into a Nighlok. "Shh," she gently rocked him back and forth, "It's okay. Mommy's here."


	110. She Remembers Part I

After calming Terran down to the point where he was no longer in his Nighlok form, Serena had Ji look over the young boy thoroughly to ensure that no damage had been done. Ji did the best he could with what he knew. Fortunately, Harada's notes came through for the Samurai. A big part of keeping the Samurai alive and healthy meant ensuring the children of the Samurai were healthy. Harada had an extensive collection of notes and he had done his own share of research of infant health and care, and Ji, wanting the best for his first grandchild, had read those notes first.

Serena paced behind Ji as she waited for word on her son. In her mind she watched Emily smacking him with the pillow over and over again. No matter how many times her brain showed her the replay, she still couldn't believe it.

"I'll never forgive her," Serena muttered and checked over Ji's shoulder. Terran's crying had stopped, and so far Ji had told her that everything seemed normal given what he had been through, but Serena wouldn't be calmed until she knew for sure everything was okay and her baby boy hadn't been hurt.

"Calm down, Serena…"

"Calm down?" Serena shrieked, "She hit him as hard as she could! I'm going to kill her!"

"I'm sure she didn't mean to…"

"She meant it!"

"Serena…"

"Stop defending her! She's seventeen and he's just a baby! I don't give a damn what she's going through. I don't give a damn she's my sister. That's my son!"

Serena scooped Terran up and cradled him in her arms, "Is he…"

"Going to be okay," Ji nodded his head, "You keep an eye on him, though. Right now, you should count your blessings Terran is his father's son. It seems Nighlok infants are much stronger than humans."

"He was human when she hit him."

"He will always be part Nighlok, Serena," Ji told her. He picked up Terran's baby blanket and gave it to the mother and son, "You're a good mother, Serena. Keep taking good care of him."

Serena nodded to tell him she understood. Ji gave her a smile and stepped out of her room. He stormed down to the common room where he could hear a lot of screaming. Just before he entered he had to stop and take a breath.

On one hand, hitting a child, under any circumstance, was unacceptable. There was a zero tolerance for violence in the Shiba House. Twice, already, Ji had to punish his Samurai for lashing out violently and causing harm.

On the other, he had no idea what caused Emily to suddenly snap and attack her nephew, and given everything she had been through, Ji was sure there was an explanation.

Ji was torn on what he would do. Punish Emily, or let it slide.

"_Fit the punishment to the crime and the person."_

Ji took another breath and stormed into the common room. He grabbed Emily, who was trying to leave, by the arms and slammed her against the wall.

"No matter what you're going through, no matter how you feel, attacking a child, never mind your nephew, is unacceptable."

"Attacking…"

"Shh," Jayden nudged Mike in the ribs. Ji was rarely ever this angry. Jayden knew to be silent, and the others were slowly catching on as well.

"Until you have learned to behave, your home is the dojo," Ji held Emily tightly by the arm as he dragged her, kicking and screaming into the dojo. He threw her into the room and locked her in. The Samurai and James could hear her pounding on the door and they could hear her crying for everything to stop, but Ji gave them all a look that told them to leave her alone. He pointed to their stools in the common room and the boys took a seat.

Mia's eyes lingered on the dojo doors for a moment longer. Maybe it was because she knew exactly how frustrated Emily was, but right now it didn't matter what Emily had done, Mia didn't think she deserved this.

"It was Dekker!" she heard Emily sob. Mia's eyes widened. The name sounded familiar and as soon as it hit her, so did the memories. One wave after another; memories of Dekker, of Emily, and of Serena came flooding back until Mia remembered it all. The day she first met Emily, the day she first ran into Dekker, the day she first heard of Serena, and the day she met Serena, all leading up to this very day. Most of her memories with Emily were good. Most of her memories with Serena were good.

Whenever Dekker was involved, it was hell.

"I don't give a damn…" she stormed into the common room and started to say. Ji held up a hand.

"She hit Terran with a pillow," he told her, "twice…"

"You have no idea how screwed up this is, do you?" she screamed. "Four years, Ji! For bloody years of our lives had been ripped away from us and they're slowly being assembled piece by piece!"

"Mia…"

"The good memories… they're good," Mia continued, lowering her voice only slightly. "My first date with Kevin, I remember everything. Every little detail in my head is perfect. I remember exactly how I felt. I got the relive it when it came back to me. It was amazing. But the same applies to the bad memories."

"I understand, Mia, but…"

"I ran from Harada!" Mia interrupted, raising her voice back to a scream to let Ji know she wouldn't let him cut in, "You all saw me, and you know what, I'm not ashamed to say it. I cried. I was terrified, I ran, and when I got home I cried like a little baby, because I lived it all again, only this time, there was nothing I could do to defend myself. I had to sit back and watch as I was attacked and almost killed by the lunatic who already ordered _your_ family to try and beat me to death."

"She attacked Terran with a pillow…"

"That's not Emily," Mia screamed and pointed to the dojo, "That's what you guys don't get. That's not Emily and I'm not Mia. We're different people from who you know and it scares us. We're living in a world that… doesn't fit. Nothing makes sense! One morning, I'm back home with my grandmother, in my senior year, thinking about what dress I want to wear to prom. The next morning, I'm being told I'm a Samurai Ranger, I'm engaged, and I'm expected to be a person I haven't turned into yet! So back off and leave us the hell alone!"

Mia walked to the dojo and unlocked the door. She pulled Emily up from the ground and glared angrily at the yellow Ranger.

"Don't you ever lay a hand on Terran, or any other child again," she growled. Emily looked up horrified. Mia shook her lightly, "Am I clear?"

Emily nodded her head in terror, but the message was loud and clear. As she nodded, Mia pulled her into her arms.

"It was Dekker," Emily whispered into Mia's ear. "Dekker… he's a Nighlok… he's…"

"He's Terran's father," Mia finished, "I know. You helped me remember."

"He… he tried to kill me…"

"I know," Mia nodded. She pulled Emily over to the chair in the hallway and she sat her down, "Emily, you haven't had a good memory, have you?"

Emily shook her head no.

Mia sighed, "I don't know about your life before you came here, but for every bad memory you have, you have at least one good one, I promise."

"I do?"

"I told you, Emy, I told you I wouldn't lie to you. Stop focusing on the bad, take a deep breath and think. Think really, really hard about the thing that makes you the happiest."

Emily nodded and closed her eyes. She didn't see anything right away, but she heard a sound. It was the sound of her sister's flute. Slowly, an image began to form as the music played in her head. At first, Emily thought it was going to be a memory of a time she had with her sister, but as the pieces fell into place she saw another face. She saw Mike. Emily's jaw quivered frantically as she fought back tears. She felt Mia squeezing her hand gently and continued to think of happy things.

Just like that, her relationship with Mike flashed right before her eyes. All the ups, the downs, and every moment in between; for a second time, she got to relive her life, though she couldn't make any changes, and she didn't want to. When it ended, it ended exactly where it was supposed to end: with Mike.

The flute continued to play in her head and suddenly her memories branched out and the gaps were filled. All the horrible memories she had in her head expanded until it was all crystal clear.

Four years. Four long years crammed in what felt like five minutes washed over her and she remembered it all. Everything was back and it was like she hadn't forgotten anything at all. She opened her eyes and threw her arms around Mia. She thanked the pink Ranger and then pulled away, raced into the common room and leapt into Mike's arms. It had been impossible to miss him when she had no idea who he was, but now that she did, she knew she had missed him.

"Em?" he pulled away from her slightly and looked down. He saw her smile was back. The Emily he knew was finally back.

Kevin watched until Emily pulled Mike into a kiss. He would never get used to seeing that. Instead, he turned his attention to Mia who was sitting in the hallway, exactly where she had been when Emily left her. He got up and walked over to her. He knelt beside her and placed his hand on her back.

"Mia…"

"I'm happy for her," Mia said, "she needed this."

"Remember," Kevin wrapped his arm around her and wiped the tear from her cheek, "you need to be selfish."

"I'm not a selfish person, Kevin," Mia shook her head; "I take care of others. I put others first, all the time. My problems aren't…"

"Your problems are my problems," Kevin said, "whether we're engaged or not. Whether you're my fiancée or just Mia. If you won't work on your own problems, work on mine."

"Can we just get through this first?" Mia sighed. She looked over to Emily, who seemed to suddenly remember something else. Emily pulled away from Mike, nearly shoving him to the ground as she suddenly raced to Serena's room.

She opened the door to her sister's bedroom and she saw Serena sitting on the bed, gently rocking a finally calm Terran to sleep. The moment Serena's eyes fell on Emily anger boiled in the earth Samurai.

"Get out."

"Serena…"

"It's done, Emily."

"I'm sorry…"

"I don't care."

"But…" Emily trailed off when Serena got up from the bed. She gently placed Terran in his crib so he could drift off to sleep on his own and she walked over to Emily. She pointed to the door.

"Get out."

"I remember…"

"I don't give a damn, Emily. This is done," she gestured to herself and Emily, "Do you have any idea what you did?"

"I'm sorry…"

"GET OUT!"

Emily turned and ran.


	111. Mia's Experience, Kevin's Journey

As the drama continued inside the Shiba House, Mia stepped outside.

With her memories of Antonio, Serena, Dekker, and Emily back, she knew a lot more about her life, but there were still so many voids in her mind.

She was never a jealous person, mostly because she always put the needs of others first. She didn't like opening up about herself. She didn't like the attention she got when she talked about herself, and she hated feeling like she was in the spotlight. She knew she had her own problems and she knew she needed to take care of them, but they weren't for anyone else to worry about.

"I'll be honest," Kevin said as he sat down beside her on the bench. Mia didn't even hear him step out of the house and jumped slightly when she heard his voice. She looked at him as he continued, "The fact that you remember Emily, Dekker, Serena, and Antonio before me… kind of hurts."

"I want to remember you first," Mia sighed, "Don't you think, if I were engaged, I would want to remember that."

"I know it's not your fault, Mia, and I'm trying my best to be patient with you, but it's still hard for me," Kevin turned and smiled at Mia, "Now it's your turn. Be honest with me."

"Kevin…"

"I'm serious, Mia. I'm doing all I can to help you, but it'll only work if you let me help you," Kevin took her hand, "Were you serious in there? When you were defending Emily, I mean. You don't feel like you're you."

Mia rolled her eyes, "I am me… I'm just… I'm not the me you know me as. I'm a completely different person. Close your eyes."

"Why?"

"Just close them and think of your life. Think of everything you know right now."

Kevin did as he was asked and shut his eyes. As he thought of everything that came to mind he felt Mia take his hand and she started to lead him away from the bench and through the yard, all while instructing him to keep his eyes closed until she asked him to open them. Kevin hesitated to follow her moves, especially when he heard the gate opening and he knew Mia was leading him out to the forest. It wasn't that he didn't trust her, but there were always roots sticking up from the ground that made it easy to trip. Even with his eyes open, Kevin couldn't escape the occasional stumble.

"It's not easy, huh?" he heard Mia ask and he nodded his head. "You have no idea where you are, you have no idea where you're going. You could trip right now and never see it coming. I could walk you right into a tree and you would have no idea until suddenly it hit. Or…"

Kevin suddenly felt Mia pull him in for a kiss. He smiled as she pulled away from him and she continued to lead him further and further into the forest. He felt good after the kiss, and he could feel her holding his hand just like she always used to: tightly, so he knew she wasn't going anywhere, but still gentle and loving.

Then, just as suddenly as the kiss, Kevin felt himself falling over and eating a mouthful of dirt.

"You can open your eyes," Mia told him. Kevin spit out the dirt and leaves from his mouth and looked around. The first thing he noticed was that he did not recognize this part of the forest at all. As he got to his feet, he looked around for Mia.

"Where are you?" he called for her and turned around. She was right behind him. He jumped, startled to find her right there, "Oh…"

"I'm not here," Mia shook her hand, "Everything you know is gone. You think we're engaged so imagine if one day you woke up and you were told you hadn't been engaged, or had a girlfriend in years. Imagine if everything you knew right at this very moment suddenly changed and you had to adapt to it all. Close your eyes again. This time, count to ten and then open them. After that, you can go home."

Kevin sighed and closed his eyes. He counted to ten out loud and when he opened his eyes Mia was gone. He spun around again but didn't find her. He checked behind the trees and rocks, but there was no sign of her.

"Mia?" he asked as his heart started to race. He looked around the forest again, hoping for a sign, but nothing was familiar. He had never been to this part of the woods before. He didn't even know his way back home, and now he had no idea where Mia was. "Okay," he called out, "I get it. I'm lost. You can come out now."

Mia didn't come out. Kevin couldn't find her at all.

-Samurai-

"Are you going to stay locked in here all day?" Mike asked Emily as he brought her tea. After going to see Serena to apologize and being kicked out, Emily had hidden herself in the dojo and refused to move. When Mike knelt down in front of her hand handed her the tea she looked to him and nodded her head.

"Serena's right to be mad," she said. She set the tea on the floor and rested her head on her knees, "I hit Terran!"

"You weren't you, Emily…"

"I know what I was," Emily shook her head. "Just because I remember everything, that doesn't mean I forget that time I… forgot."

"Confusing," Mike nodded, "but I get it."

He sat down next to her and he wrapped his arms around her. When she leaned into him, he couldn't help but feel happy in spite of everything else going on. He finally had her back.

"I hit my nephew," Emily muttered. "I wanted to hurt him…"

"You had a memory that misled you. You're never going to hurt him again. You're never going to try, right?"

"No," Emily shook her head, "but Mike…"

"What you did was wrong, Emily; but you couldn't help it. We should have told you about Terran. We should have seen this coming…"

"You couldn't have…"

"We know you hate Dekker," Mike said. "We all assumed that when you remembered him you would freak out. We should have been more careful with that, especially around Terran."

"I feel bad…"

Mike got to his feet and he held out his hand, "How do you think I feel? I tried to kill you once, remember?" he gently pulled Emily to her feet, "The difference between you and me is that I still have that part of me. That Mike… that strangled you, that's a part of who I am. But you're not, in anyway, the kind of person who would hurt a baby, or anyone else, for that matter."

"I hit Howie."

"He deserved it," Mike chuckled. "I promised you I would never hurt you again. I promised that my angry side was a side you never had to see again. You don't have to make that promise. Who you were when you hit Terran isn't who you are now. It's not who you've ever been. You can say that wasn't you. I can't."

"So we're both evil?"

"No," Mike shook his head and kissed her, "We're not. I, however, have an evil side. And if you can forgive me, and trust me knowing I have an evil side, then I'm sure you'll be forgiven for what happened with Terran. When Serena calms down, when she sees Terran is okay…"

"If he's not okay?"

"He is okay."

"But if he wasn't… I'm only getting away with this because he is okay. If I had hurt him…"

"No ifs, Emily… Terran is fine…"

"But…"

"Stop it."

"But…"

"Emily…"

"I can't stop it! I hit Terran," Emily screamed and she pushed Mike away and raced out of the dojo. Mike heard another door slam and knew this was going to take time.

Instead of going after he, Mike got up and he walked to Serena's room. He knocked on the door and let himself in. Terran was sound asleep in his crib, and Serena was sitting at the top of her bed, staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. Mike grabbed her desk chair and took a seat.

"C'mon, Serena…"

"Don't you dare try and defend her."

"Do you really think Emily could have…?"

"If he weren't a Nighlok…"

"She wouldn't have hit him in the first place," Mike interrupted. "Of course, no matter what he is, she shouldn't have hit him, but if you try and tell me he only survived because he's part Nighlok… your argument sucks. She only hit him because she remembered Dekker. Do you remember Dekker? Do you remember how beat the shit out of all of us, how he murdered an innocent man, and you reward him by fucking him and bringing his child into the world? Your ex put your little sister through hell, and really, the only reason you broke up with him is because he suddenly turned the gun on you and you freaked out. You let Dekker get away with murder. You let me strangle Emily…"

"I never let you strangle Emily," Serena growled.

Mike shook his head, "I'm with her now, with your blessing."

"Mike…"

"I just… I don't get it, Serena."

"She…"

"Hit Terran, I know. She'll never do it again. She feels terrible about it now. You said so yourself, you dropped her three times as a baby."

"I didn't know any better."

"You were old enough to know not to drop a baby on their head," Mike muttered and then he looked at Serena, "besides, she didn't know any better either. One minute Terran's just a baby who appeared out of nowhere, the next she remembered who his father is and how he tortured her."

"She shouldn't have hit my son, Michael. He's just a baby."

"I know," Mike stood up, "I'm not arguing with you, Serena, but good god, your threat radar seems to be broken. I'm fine? Dekker's fine? Emily… not so much? Emily's the biggest, baddest, meanest person you've ever brought into Terran's life? In your own life?"

He stormed out of the room, rolling his eyes. Sometimes he really didn't understand people.

-Samurai-

After searching for what felt like hours (though it was only half an hour when he checked his watch), Kevin finally started to recognize where he was in the forest and he found his way home. Mia was standing just outside the Shiba Gates, waiting for him. He rushed over to her and took her in his arms.

"Don't run away like that," he told her. "I was scared out of my mind! What if something happened to you?"

"It was pretty scary, wasn't it?" Mia looked up. Finally her lesson sunk in completely. "You were probably pretty confused too. Frustrated when you couldn't remember the way home. You probably didn't want to admit it, but you were lost. You were probably praying for something you recognized."

"Okay, okay," Kevin nodded, "I get it. But Mia, you can trust me…"

"I felt you pulling on my hand, Kevin. As I was leading you out you hesitated."

"But I followed you…"

"But you hesitated. You have to let me hesitate too. I trust you, I do, but sometimes I need to figure things out for myself. You have to let me go. I promise you won't lose me."

Kevin nodded his head and he kissed her forehead, "If you think it's for the best."

Mia nodded. She wrapped her arms around Kevin, "I do know one thing, though. All the memories I have with the people I do remember… they've triggered something else. I don't remember you like I should… but I remember something that will help me remember you."

"What?"

"I love you."

Those words never held more meaning to Kevin then they did now. He pulled Mia in closer and held her lovingly. He gently rested his chin on top of her head as he let his tears fall. He kissed her hair.

"I love you too."


	112. Gone

Mia thought she would get her own bed for the night. Now that Emily had her memories back, she was sure the yellow Ranger would go back to her room with Mike and Mia could get the peace she thought she needed. But the room was painfully silent. While she had confessed that she did love Kevin, she wasn't ready to share a room with him yet. She had all day to work on her memories with her friends and she wanted the nights to herself for some peace and quiet. Unfortunately, there was too much peace and too much quiet. Without another presence in the room, Mia felt very alone.

It didn't help that she was alone. She would never wish the memory loss on anyone, but when she was suffering with Emily at least she had a partner and a friend who understood exactly what she was going through. Now she didn't have that. Emily was back to the regular Emily, and she now had her own problems to deal with. Hitting Terran, even with a pillow, seemed to be the worst thing anyone could have ever done. Mia knew how wrong it was, and letting it slide wasn't an option, but surely, with everything else going on at the time, it's wasn't _that_ big a deal.

She rolled over in bed and tried to find a different position to sleep in when she noticed something pressed against her stomach. She reached under the blankets and pulled out Emily's ape toy.

"I guess now that you have Mike, you don't need this anymore…" Mia muttered and she hugged the ape to her chest. She closed her eyes and hoped for sleep. After a few moments, just as she was about to give up, she felt her bed move. She opened her eyes and saw Emily crawling in.

"Mike's asleep," Emily whispered as she snuggled into the bed like she owned it. "Move over, you're on my side."

Mia let out a little laugh and shifted slightly towards her end of the bed. She looked to Emily, "Why are you back?"

"I can't sleep," Emily took her stuffed ape and hugged it as she looked up to the ceiling. "I heard Terran crying so I thought Serena was up… but it was James. He said Serena doesn't want to see me anymore."

"Emily…"

"I hit Terran, I know I deserve it," Emily sighed. "I would be pretty mad at her if I caught her hitting Terran."

"There's a difference, Emy…"

"There is no difference. I'm not his mom, but I'm supposed to protect him, not smack him. I don't even believe in spanking!"

"You're beating yourself up over this, aren't you?"

"I'm thinking of quitting."

Mia sat up and shook her head, "What? Why? Emily, hitting Terran, whether intentional or not…"

"I'm a mess."

"So am I."

"But at least you're good for the team. Even when you're at your lowest, Jayden still gives you all the power ups."

"Surely you remember one time where you helped the team."

"Maybe… but… No."

"What about Negatron? Emily, you were the only one who…"

"I didn't do anything," Emily shook her head. "I fought him off until Mike and Jayden were ready to help me. Jayden defeated him, anyways."

"Emily, that's not how that happened."

"Then why wasn't I ever considered for anything except what was necessary for me, and only me to control? Antonio gets all the new toys and he can do anything and he gets all the glory for it because he's so awesome. Jayden's the red guy so he automatically gets to try his hand at everything. Kevin's second best, so whenever Jayden's done with whatever new weapon, Kevin always goes next, and Mike's right behind both of them."

"So where am I?"

"You got to use the Black Box twice," Emily explained, "You're the second one to use the Shogun Mode, you came up the Samurai Gigazord combination."

"I… I did?"

"You did most of the work," Emily nodded. "I don't want to be a Samurai anymore. It's too much trouble. I'm too much trouble."

Emily traced a symbol and a pen and paper appeared in the bed. She gave them both to Mia.

"Can you write something for me? I can't even do that by myself… unless I want to stay up all night."

"If you're running away…"

"I talked to Mike about it already. He says as long as I keep my Samuraizer with me and I turn it one from time to time throughout the day, I can take some time to clear my head. I'm not going to run away stupidly like Antonio. The others think it's best too. I just can't be here anymore."

-Samurai-

"No harm, no foul, huh Terran?" James asked as he put a clean diaper on Terran and lifted him up high in the air for some fun, "You forgive your Auntie Emy, right."

"Shut up, James," Serena growled and snatched Terran from the air, "Why is everyone taking her side?"

"We're not," James said. He grabbed the dirty diaper and started for the kitchen, "We're on everyone's side. What do you want for breakfast?"

"For all this hell to be over."

"How about eggs?" James offered. Serena groaned and set Terran on his spot on the floor for his playtime while she started to flip through the channels on TV. James suddenly came back into the room and gently tossed a folded piece of paper on her lap. Serena looked at the front and saw it was addressed to her. She opened it up and recognized Mia's handwriting. She furrowed her brow. She had seen Mia leave for a jog with Kevin when she got up with James and Terran in the early hours of the morning. There was no need for Mia to leave a letter. A note perhaps, but not a letter. Serena read it over once and then tossed it to the floor.

"Wow," James said, causing Serena to jump, "Are you mad at the paper, too?"

"I thought you were making eggs."

"You know I love you, right?" James asked. Serena continued to stare at him. "You're a bitch."

"Eggs."

"Your son is safe," James pointed to Terran on the floor, playing happily with one of his toys. "Your sister…"

"She tried to kill Terran!"

"I doubt she wanted to kill him," James said, "and I doubt you have to worry about that happening again."

"No, because Emily is gone and there's no way I'm ever letting her near my son again."

"Your loss," James shook his head, "Terran's loss too, I guess. He really loved Emily."

"I doubt he still does. She scared him and hurt him so bad he had to turn into a Nighlok to protect himself…"

"Emily was scared too," James nodded. He sat down beside Serena, "No one blames you for choosing Terran over Emily. What she did is hard to forgive, but she's still your sister. She still needs you."

"No she…"

"Serena, she's not going to hurt Terran again. You're just punishing her for no reason. You're putting her through more and more hell. And why? Are you actually scared of her?"

"Terran…"

"Is safe, he's healthy, he's smiling, Serena, look at him. Yesterday's going to be gone from his mind before he knows it."

"He shouldn't have to live with that."

"I get you want your son's safety at all costs. I get that he means the world to you and you can't lose him, but now that you know he's safe and you know you're not going to lose him, do you really want to lose your sister too?"

"I don't care, James…"

"I know I wasn't there when you first told Emily you were pregnant, or when you told her it was Dekker's baby, but I guess that wasn't an easy thing for her either."

"You have no idea what you're talking about."

"Serena, the blood of the man who tried to kill her runs through her nephew's veins. Terran's the son of the man who terrifies her. You promised her you would protect her, right?"

"A long, long time ago…"

"And yet you brought a known killer into her life. You put her in danger, just like she put Terran in danger."

"But that's different…"

"And you're being a bitch," James shook his head. He picked Terran up from the floor, "Honestly, Serena, I hope you're happy."

-Samurai-

"This is ridiculous, Emily," Kevin shook his head and looked around the park. Everyone knew Emily had left the Shiba House except Serena, and they had all promised to check up on her from time to time, knowing she had a habit of getting herself in trouble. Kevin and Mia had gone for a jog and while they were out they decided to see where Emily had decided to settle for the day. Emily had chosen the park. More specifically, the swing set at the park. Kevin turned back to Emily, "What are you going to do tonight?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders, "I don't really know anyone in town."

"Here," Kevin reached into his wallet and pulled out some money. He gave it to Emily, "Food and a hotel. You're not starving yourself, and you're not sleeping outside. In fact, if this is going to last overnight, I want you indoors before the sun sets."

"Yes, dad," Emily rolled her eyes.

Mia sniggered slightly and looked to Kevin, "You do sound a lot like a father."

"I'm just trying to keep her safe," Kevin said. "We don't want another Frankie incident, do we?"

"Kevin," Emily called sweetly. When Kevin looked to her she pointed to a man walking his dog, "Go kiss it."

"The man or the dog?"

"Whichever makes you more uncomfortable."

Kevin knelt down in front of Emily, "Find a place to stay, promise?"

Emily nodded her head and groaned, "Fine…"

"Call if you need anything," Kevin told her. He got back to his feet and started to back away, ready to finish his jog home. Mia took Emily's hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"You don't need to do this," she said, "Emy, everyone wants you back home. You may not understand why you're needed, but you are."

"I can't go home," Emily shook her head. "Will you be out jogging tomorrow?"

"Yeah. And tonight I'll leave my bedroom window unlocked. If you can't find a place to stay, there's half a bed waiting for you."

Emily nodded her head and smiled. She gave the pink and blue Rangers another look that told them she would be okay and they finally left her alone. When they did she slowly started to rock back and forth on the swings. She couldn't understand why everyone was being so nice. She had hit Terran!

"There are no Nighlok around, are there?"

Emily looked up and suddenly jammed her feet into the sand, stopping the swing, "Amanda?"

"If there is a Nighlok who wants to burn me alive, just blink twice and I'll run," Amanda said as she took the swing next to Emily. Emily shook her head.

"No Nighlok. Just me."

"You look glum," Amanda said and then waved to someone standing on the path. Emily looked over and saw she was waving to Jessie, her older sister.

"Why are you talking to me? Aren't you mad at the Rangers? We put you in danger."

"I'm not mad," Amanda shook her head, "Just scared. That's why I asked."

"You're good," Emily said. "No Nighlok will come after me."

"So where are the others?" Amanda looked around, "Aren't you always at least with some of the Samurai?"

Emily pointed down the path where Mia and Kevin left, "They went home. I'm not going back."

"You're quitting?"

"I can't quit," Emily pulled out her Samuraizer and stared at it, "I mean, I could, but then Serena would have to take my place and… I don't know why I just don't quit, actually. Serena got to use the Black Box. Obviously they think she's better… stronger…"

"Do you always do this to yourself?"

"I couldn't even get us out of those cages," Emily gripped the chains of her swing tightly. "You almost died because of me."

"Amanda, c'mon," Jessie walked over, "We have to get home. Say goodbye to her."

"Jessie's been super protective," Amanda explained to Emily as she got up from the swing, "I've moved in with her now, just in case Jayden breaks our agreement and tries to find me. She doesn't let me out of her sight much. She's not a huge fan of you Rangers."

As Amanda turned around to say goodbye she saw Emily looking to the sand. Tears were sleeping from her cheeks. Amanda sighed. She couldn't leave Emily like this. She had nothing against the Rangers at all. She was just terrified that what happened to her when she was dating Jayden would happen again if she kept in contact with them.

But they were still human. They were people and they had their own problems as well as the world's problems. Amanda couldn't see one of them struggling and not offer to help. After all, if one of the Rangers was bogged down by issues, the entire city was at risk. To keep herself safe, she had to keep the Rangers strong.

"If you're not going home, do you have a place to stay?"

"Kevin gave me money for a hotel…"

"Nonsense. Anything could happen to you if you're alone," Amanda shook her head and pulled Emily from the swings, "C'mon, Jessie and I have a couch. You'll be comfortable on it."

"Amanda…" Jessie groaned and rolled her eyes. Amanda shut her up with a glare.

"We're helping."

"You do remember…"

"What happened? Yes." Amanda nodded. She wrapped her arm around Emily, "We should still help."

"You're going to get us killed, sis," Jessie groaned as she trailed behind Emily and Amanda, who was leading the way home and trying to get Emily to talk.


	113. She Remembers Part II

"I'm worried about her," Amanda muttered to Jessie as they sat on the couch eating dinner. Out on the balcony of their apartment sat the most depressed Emily Amanda had ever seen. Amanda hadn't gotten much of a chance to get to know Emily, though they had bonded when they had both been kidnapped by Dekker and Dayu, but Amanda knew this wasn't normal for Emily. Something was seriously wrong. "I think we should call her sister."

"She said she wanted to be alone," Jessie shrugged. She wasn't too happy she had a Power Ranger in her house. She still couldn't forget what happened to Amanda because she had gotten caught up the Samurai and it was their fault. As heroes they should have known better than to put a civilian, never mind her baby sister, in danger.

"Jessie, we talked about this…"

"Jayden's moved on anyways, Amanda. He's dating that Antonio guy. I don't see why you care so much. It's not like anything's going to happen anymore. He's not going to magically un-gay himself for you just because you helped his friend."

"He's bisexual and that's not why I'm doing this," Amanda shook her head. "Besides, I gave him my blessing. He deserves to be happy…"

"After all the hell he put you through?"

"Yes. One thing I know from bonding with the Rangers is that they are just like us," Amanda said and she pointed to the balcony, "That's someone's little sister. You can't ignore that, Jess. Forget the whole Ranger thing."

Jessie nodded, "Alright, you got me. Call Jayden or…"

"I only have Serena and Emily's number," Amanda said and she started to make the call.

-Samurai-

Serena focused on what Mike and James had been saying about Emily. Somewhere deep down she knew they were right, but she couldn't get past what she had seen. Emily had hit Terran.

"I have a question," Serena turned around to see Mia standing by the door. She waved the pink Ranger in.

"I thought you remembered me."

"I remember a Serena who promised to stick by her sister. I remember a Serena who was fiercely protective of Emily."

"She hadn't hit my son."

"Can I ask you something? What's it like to be so ignorant of the truth when you know it?"

"What?"

"You know Emily's beating herself up over this, right?"

"She should."

"But you and I both know she didn't mean it. The difference is that you chose to ignore that. Emily didn't hit Terran because she was trying to hurt him."

"She…"

"She panicked because she remembered. If I discovered who Terran was the same way she did, I'd probably hit him too…"

"What do you know?" Serena scoffed and turned away from Mia.

"What do I know? I know every night Emily's been crawling into my bed because she's been terrified. Even with her memories, even with Mike and everyone in this house who's been looking after her, she's been coming to me. She's been leaning on me. Why the hell do I have to take care of your little sister? She remembered you!"

"You two bonded…"

"For the same reason we bonded the first time," Mia nodded her head, "She needed a sister. She needed her sister. While you were too busy sleeping with James or looking after Terran…"

"A baby!"

"A baby anyone else in this house could have watched for a couple of days while you helped your sister! I've forgotten, Serena, but I'm not stupid. Emily's needed you this whole time and everything you've done has pushed her away."

"I've been helping…"

"Do you know what the worst part is?" Mia asked. "I feel scared and vulnerable, and I've had good memories. When Emily hit Terran she believed her life had been hell. She honestly believed nothing good had happened to her in for years. If I feel like this, imagine how she must have felt."

"Mia…"

"Besides, how can she believe that nothing good has happened to her in four years if you're healthy again? Even if she doesn't remember, the proof is right there. You're standing here. You are healthy. How can she not consider that to be a good thing?"

"I…"

"Because you let her down. You let her down, you're letting me down because this house is screwing with my head and I don't have my best friend to help me, and you're letting the team down. But you know what, congratulations on keeping Terran safe. Mom of the year award goes to you."

Mia slammed the door as she left, waking Terran who Serena had just gotten in bed for the night. Mia stormed down the hallway and into the common room. She looked to the memory wall as tears slipped down her cheeks.

Gaps. Huge gaps were starting to haunt her. The more she remembered, the more she realized she had gaps and the more they hurt. She wanted them to be filled. The gaps were holes that made Mia feel like she was full of holes.

"Mia?"

Mia turned around and saw Kevin. He noticed her tears and rushed over to her. He wrapped her up tight in his arms as they both sunk to the floor."

"This is hell," Mia whispered in his ear as she sobbed. He shook his head. She nodded, "Yes! If this is our safe place, we're in hell! I hate it here. Emily remembers everything and she's chosen to run away still… how bad is this place?"

Kevin didn't say a word. He reached to the wall and grabbed as many pictures as he could. He shifted Mia around in his arms so they could look at the pictures together.

"You need to focus, Mia…"

"I can't remember…"

"You can't because you won't let yourself. You've remembered so much already and I'm convinced you're remembering more and more as time goes by, you're just not aware of it because you won't let yourself. What's this?" he held up one picture.

"Halloween… we… we scared Mike…"

"And this?"

"Christmas."

"This?" Kevin continued to flip through the pictures.

"The amusement park; Jayden had just defeated Dekker. The beach on our day off. The day Antonio joined the team."

"You know why I've been trying so hard with your memories?" Kevin asked as he set the pictures down, "Because I know they're all there."

A crying Terran interrupted the conversation. Both Mia and Kevin turned to the doorway and saw Serena holding Terran in one hand and she had a cell phone in the other.

"Can… can you guys babysit?" Serena had tears falling down her cheeks. She looked like a mess.

"Sure," Kevin nodded, "Why?"

"Emily's with Amanda… she's… she's not home?"

"I left you a note from her," Mia growled. Serena shook her head.

"I threw it away. I didn't…"

"Obviously," Mia rolled her eyes.

Kevin nodded his head, "Just leave Terran with us and go talk to her."

Serena handed Terran over to Kevin and Mia and bolted from the house. Mia watched her go with a venomous look in her eyes. Kevin saw this and chuckled, "One thing that'll never change about you is that mama bear instinct. A little weird you ended up with the turtle Zord and not the bear."

"I hate her. I know that."

"I hate to break it to you, Mia, but you and Serena are pretty similar. She just seems to slip up with Emily a lot more, but I guess that's only because they've known each other for so long."

"So?"

"Do you remember Amanda?" Kevin asked, getting back to Mia's memories. She nodded her head.

"Jayden's ex-girlfriend."

"And this little guy?" Kevin propped up Terran. Mia took him in her arms.

"Of course I remember him."

"Close your eyes," Kevin told her. Mia followed his instructions. "You told Emily to think of something that made her happy, right?"

Mia nodded her head. Kevin smiled, "Do the same. Think of what makes you happy and focus on that. Let everything else go and it should come back to you."

Mia did as she was told and the first thing that came to mind was a wedding; her wedding. The wedding she had staged with Jayden to figure out where Dayu was taking all the kidnapped brides. She remembered standing at the alter and all she could think about was how happy she would be when it finally happened for real; when she finally got married to the man of her dreams. Unfortunately, he wasn't standing next to her.

Then she remembered the day Kevin proposed. She remembered how it changed her life complete. A smile appeared on her lips as her life with Kevin flashed before her eyes. She remembered fighting with him, she remembered making up with him. She remembered all the little times in between where he did something that made her fall more and more for him. She felt her body relax as the memories of the good times calmed her, and from there everything hit her.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open and she looked to Kevin. She shifted Terran in her arms slightly so he was safe as she pulled Kevin in for a deep kiss. After a moment, Kevin gently pulled away. He cupped her cheek with his hand and looked into her eyes, "So…?"

Mia nodded her head. She couldn't believe how amazing it felt to finally be back. She was no longer scared and she no longer felt vulnerable. She was Mia. Tears filled her eyes as she snuggled into Kevin's chest. Kevin kissed the top of her head before resting his chin on it and trying to hold back his own tears. He squeezed her a little tighter, while being mindful of Terran who had stopped his crying to figure out why his Aunt Mia and Uncle Kevin were crying.

"Marry me, Mia?" Kevin asked her. He knew she didn't have her engagement ring on yet so it felt right.

"Yes," Mia nodded.


	114. Emily's Importance

Serena gulped loudly and knocked on the door to Amanda and Jessie's apartment. They were expecting her. Amanda had called Serena to let her know they had Emily and that there was something seriously wrong. Serena had an idea of what it was and she felt terrible.

The door opened and Serena was greeted by Jessie. She was invited inside and she looked around.

Jessie picked up the backpack Emily had with her when they found her. She gave it to Serena, "This is everything she had."

"Thanks," Serena gulped and took the bag. She slipped it on her shoulder, "Has Emily talked to you about…"

Jessie shook her head, "We can't even get her to come inside. It's getting cold but she insists on freezing to death."

"Dammit, Emily," Serena groaned.

"Amanda's been trying to convince her to come inside though. We made a plate of fresh baked cookies too. She was just about to use them to try and lure Emily in."

"Give me the cookies," Serena turned to the kitchen and saw Amanda had just finished with the cookies. Amanda gave her the plate and pointed to the balcony.

"She's there," she said. Serena nodded and walked out the balcony. The apartment wasn't very big, and halfway to the door the smell of the cookies filled Serena's nose and made her crave them. There was no way Emily was going to resist them.

She opened the balcony door. Emily, who had her face buried in her arms, didn't look up. Serena sat down beside her and put the plate near her sister.

"Emily..." at the sound of Serena's voice, Emily grabbed the plate of cookies and tossed the treats over the balcony. She set the plate back down on the floor and curled back up into a ball. Serena watched the cookies fall and then turned back to her sister, "Emy, I'm ready to talk…"

"No."

"I know you didn't mean to hit Terran."

"I…"

"What happened, happened. You're not going to do it again, right?"

"Just go away."

"I'm sorry I pushed you away, Emy."

"You were right…"

"I was wrong, Emily, and I'm sorry. I don't regret protecting Terran, and I never will, but I should have come to you sooner. You needed my help and I let you down," Serena wrapped her arms around Emily. The younger sister tried to pull and push Serena away, but only made herself frustrated when Serena wouldn't let go.

"Stop it. I hit Terran…"

"And I forgive you. Terran forgives you too. It's a onetime thing, it shouldn't have happened and it never will again. You didn't mean to…"

"Yes I did!"

"Emily…"

"He's Dekker's son! I got scared and I wanted to hit him!"

"Emily…"

"Go away!"

"No," Serena shook her head. She hugged her sister a little tighter.

"What do you want from me?" Emily screamed. She tried harder to pry her sister off. "Just go home! What's the point?"

"The point is you're my sister! I'm sorry I let you down, Emily, but…"

"Stop catching me," Emily finally pushed Serena away. "Stop with all this crap. I'm trouble. I'm a burden. If my memories taught me anything it's that I'm not worth it!"

"Emily!"

"I give up!" Emily tossed her Samuraizer at Serena, "Just leave me alone!"

Emily pushed herself up to her feet and stormed off. She burst through Jessie and Amanda's apartment and in a flash she was gone. Serena jumped up to follow her but suddenly the Samuraizer went off.

"Dammit," Serena muttered and she answered it. "A Nighlok at this time? Isn't everyone asleep?"

"There's a music festival in the park and a Nighlok stole the show," Jayden told her on the other end, "Tell Emily to…"

"I'm yellow Ranger for now," Serena said, "I'll meet you there. I'll explain later."

-Samurai-

Serena met up with the Rangers at the park. Nighlok normally didn't attack at night because there were so few people to terrorize, but the park was crowded for the festival and it seemed all of them had been hit by the Nighlok. They were racing around, grabbing anything and everything they could stuff in their mouths.

"Alright, anyone got an idea of what this guy does?" Mia asked and looked around, "He's kind of ruining my first night back."

"Well, well, Samurai Rangers," the Rangers turned around at the sound of the Nighlok's voice and they saw him standing amongst the chaos. He shot several more people with what appeared to be dirt and instantly they started to beg for food and water.

"What did you do to them?" Mike demanded.

"My black dirt creates an appetite for self-destruction. Now these dummies will eat, and eat, and eat!"

"We have to stop him," Kevin said and he looked to the eating civilians with disgust, "I don't even think Mike can eat this much."

"Challenge so accepted when we get home," Mike smirked and pulled out his Samuraizer, as did the others," "Go, go Samurai!"

"Moogers!" the Nighlok called as an army of Moogers appeared and swarmed the Rangers. The Nighlok stood, watching the battle from a distance. While the Moogers kept the Rangers distracted, he continued to spit his dirt at as many people as he could. The more misery he could create the more the Sanzu River would rise.

Finally, he saw his opening. With all six Rangers distracted, all it would take to finish them completely would be six shots of his dirt.

"Get it while it's hot!" he spat at the blue and pink Rangers first, knocking them off their feet before he turned fired his dirt at green and gold. He fired his last two shots at yellow and gold and he watched all the Rangers power down. He giggled with excitement just before he felt a sharp pain in his side. He looked down and saw he was drying up. The last six spits of dirt had drained him.

"You Rangers are lucky," he said as he disappeared into the Gap, "But I'll be back to cause more misery!"

-Samurai-

Ji had been watching the map closely and all six signals for the Rangers had disappeared suddenly while the Nighlok's signal had disappeared into one for the Gaps. Ji's heart was in his throat. It wasn't possible. All six Rangers were down.

"I'll be back," he said, "Keep an eye on Terran."

As Ji raced out to see the damage done to the Rangers, James looked to the map again. He turned on the news for the TV, but the energy from the Samurai Rangers powering down had once again cut off the feeds from the cameras. James paced nervously back and forth.

Soon, too soon, the door flew open and James heard someone storming in. Hoping it was Ji back with the others, James rushed to see who it was.

"Emily?" he asked and he looked back to the map. Emily continued to make her way to her room. She ignored him completely. James followed her, "Emily, wait up! What happened?"

"Leave me alone!" Emily screamed.

"The Nighlok," James said, "What happened with the Nighlok?"

"What Nighlok?" Emily turned around. Her stomach bubbled in panic, "I gave my Samuraizer to Serena and…"

"Serena?" it was James' turn to panic, "Why?"

"I'm not good enough," Emily shook her head and sunk into the chair in the hallway. "I quit the team. I came back to collect my stuff then I'm going home."

"You quit? Emily, you can't quit…"

"Yes I can. I hurt Terran and I'm useless. I'm the butt of the team!"

"That's not true," James grabbed Emily by the arms and he knelt down in front of her. He looked her right in the eyes, "Every single person on a team has a very important role to play. No matter how minor it seems…"

"Like what? What can I do as the butt of the Megazord?"

"I don't know much about Megazords, but whether you're the butt or the head, you're still important. You're still connected to the Megazord for a reason."

"Are we about to have a bonding moment?" Emily huffed, "I hate our bonding moments. They make me like you more."

"Twenty four hours," James said. "Give me twenty four hours."

"To do what?"

"I'm a coach, Emily," James smiled, "If I can't prove to you that you're an important part of the team, you can quit. Just please give me one day."

"But I'm not important," Emily muttered.

Finally, the door opened again and all six Rangers stormed into the house and rushed for the kitchen. Ji walked in after them, looking exhausted. He locked the doors and turned to James and Emily. He gave her a big smile.

"Good, you're here."

"What happened to them?" James asked. He peeked into the kitchen where the Rangers were raiding the fridge and wrestling each other for every single piece of food they could find.

"The Nighlok causes hunger," Ji explained. "The park is even worse. Hundreds of people were hit, including all the Rangers."

"All but one," James smiled and he turned to Emily. She huffed and shook her head.

"Then we're screwed," Emily stood up. She glared at James, "You have twenty four hours. I'll be packing my bags…"

"Your team needs you, Emily," Ji told her, "You're the only one who can stop this Nighlok. The Rangers are fit for battle. They're too distracted by food. If you don't stop this Nighlok soon they'll eat themselves to death."

Emily turned around at the mention of death. At that moment, Mike stormed into the hallway, clutching an armful of food. He curled up into the corner and started snacking on his food. Emily looked to him.

"Mike…"

"I'm eating!" he snapped at her, "My food! It's mine, you hear me!" He bit off a piece of baguette and glared at Emily, "Stay back!"

"Mike, stop it! If you eat all this you're going to make yourself sick!"

"Get away!" Mike pushed her to the floor. He gathered up his snacks and raced to the bedroom. He locked himself in. Emily could hear him from the other side of the door, "I'm so hungry!"

"Mentor…" Emily turned to Ji but something caught her eye. While the Rangers had been gone fighting the Nighlok, James had fed Terran his bottle of Sanzu Water to keep his Nighlok side strong. Unfortunately, Terran only got halfway through the bottle, leaving the rest of it up for grabs. The bottle, which James had let go of and dropped next to Terran on the floor, was now out in the open, ready for anyone to grab.

"Water!" Serena cried, ready to plough right through Terran to get to the red liquid, which right now seemed like the magic cure for her extremely dry throat.

"Serena! No!" Emily raced over and she reached Terran before Serena could trample him. She picked him and snatched the bottle at the same time. She looked over to her sister, who was eyeing the bottle in Emily's hand.

"I need it…"

"Serena, this could kill you!"

"Water!"

"No!"

"C'mon, Serena," James grabbed her and pulled her back into the kitchen, "There's more to eat in here."

James guided Serena away from the Sanzu Water bottle and back to the kitchen for food and drinks that wouldn't kill her, while Ji made sure all the Rangers were kept together. There was nothing he could do to stop their eating, but he could at least monitor what they were eating and just how much of it they were eating.

"My food!" Mike screamed as he raced back from his bedroom and he jumped right back into the fridge.

From the common room Emily gasped. He had already finished all his food. She looked down at Terran and realized, to her horror, she had been left alone with him.

"But…" she looked around but there was no one to help her. Terran was screaming at the top of his lungs from almost being trampled by his own mother. Emily started to rock him, "She didn't mean it, Terran. She's just… under a spell."

It took a moment, but Terran finally started to settle in her arms. As she played with him to take his mind off the chaos in the house he smiled at her and laughed with her. It was like nothing between them had ever happened.

Emily gulped. She walked to Serena's room and settled Terran down for bed. She could still hear all the noise from the kitchen as the Rangers fought for food and it terrified her. She was the only Samurai left.

"Em," the door suddenly opened and James poked his head in. He tossed her her Samuraizer, "Ji and I have our hands full. If the Gap Sensor goes off…"

"I'm on my own?"

"You can do it, Em," James nodded to her. He then tossed something else her way. Emily barely had time to see what it was as she caught it. She looked down when it was in her hands.

"The Black Box?"

"You're the only Ranger, right?" James shrugged his shoulder, "Who else can use it but you?"

"But… but…"

"Kevin! Those are my donuts!"

"You're worth something, Em. Don't you ever forget that," James gave her a smile and then looked down the hallway, "Now I've got to go. Mia's fighting Kevin for donuts. She'll kill me if I let her eat all of those."

James raced off, leaving Emily alone in the bedroom. She looked down at Terran who couldn't settle down for bed. All the noise was keeping him awake. Emily put her Samuraizer and the Black Box in her pocket and picked up Terran. She walked him to the bed and sat down with him in her arms. He settled instantly and his eyes started to close. Emily stuck out her tongue.

"You should be afraid of me," she said, "I hit you with a pillow."

Terran didn't do anything except start to fall asleep comfortably in Emily's arms. He felt perfectly safe with his aunt.

Emily huffed, "You're just like me, you stupid kid. You're too trusting," she laid down in bed with Terran on her chest, "I can't do this. Everyone else was hit. It's just me. If I wasn't good enough before this…"

Terran let out a grunt. He was just trying to sleep, but this was the best conversation Emily was going to get. She looked at him again.

"I guess it's worth a shot," she told him, "and, at least no one can say I didn't try my best. It might not be _the _best… but it's all I've got."

She kissed the top of Terran's head and sighed, "I hope it's enough."


	115. Emily's Fight

The Nighlok was taking it's time coming back, but Emily assumed it was because he thought he had hit all the Rangers.

While Ji and James were running themselves ragged trying to control just how much the others shoved into their mouths, Emily needed to get ready for when the Nighlok did eventually come back. She knew she would have the element of surprise, with the Nighlok thinking all the Rangers were too hungry to fight, but beyond that she felt she was at a huge disadvantage. She had never taken on a Nighlok by herself before. The only time she came close was with Negatron and even then Mike had helped her greatly and Jayden had finished him off. This was a huge first for Emily and she wasn't sure she was up to it.

In his play pen, set up in the corner of the dojo, Terran was playing with one of his toys that made a lot of noise. Emily had to tune them out as she beat on the punching bag. But one noise cause her attention, for no real reason, and as Emily turned to check up on Terran, the punching bag came back and knocked her off her feet. Terran saw this from the playpen and laughed. His Auntie Emy was silly.

"I'm glad you find that funny," Emily muttered as she picked herself up. "I just got my butt kicked by a baby. How am I ever going to stop the Nighlok?"

Suddenly, Emily heard screams from the other side of the house. She was used to hearing her friends crying out in hunger but this sounded worse. She plucked Terran from the playpen and raced to see what was happening.

Ji and James were just finishing with stuffing the Rangers away in Jayden and Antonio's bedroom when Emily came by. Ji used a symbol that locked them in and sighed loudly in exhaustion. He and James sunk to the floor.

"You locked them in?"

"They're going to eat me out of house and home," Ji nodded his head, "and if they don't stop eating soon, I fear the worse."

"They'll eat themselves to death?" Emily asked with a gulp and looked to the door.

"You must draw the Nighlok out," Ji told her. "He may not come back in time."

"Draw him out?" Emily knew what this meant. If she could somehow draw the Nighlok out, her element of surprise would be gone. The Nighlok would see her from the Netherworld and he would jump her, possibly taking her out much faster than she anticipated.

"Is there something wrong, Emily?" Ji asked when he noticed her hesitation. She shook her head, but James spoke up.

"She thinks she can't do it. Just before you came back with the others, she was going to quit."

"Emily, why?" Ji stood up and looked down at her, "I know you've been having a hard time lately, but that's no reason to give up. That is not what I've taught you."

"She thinks she's not important. She thinks she's the butt of the Megazord and the butt of the team."

"You are _not_ the butt," Ji said as he looked her right in the eyes, "You are one of the most important parts of this team."

"We're a team of six. How is _one of the most important_ not still one of the least important?"

"You have always amazed me, Emily. From day one…"

"No I haven't," Emily pulled away, "Everyone gets something but me. When you were passing out Zords for the Battlewing, I wasn't considered. Everyone's gotten the Black Box except me."

"So?" Ji asked, "Emily, your turn is…"

"Mia and I were recovering, and Jayden still gave it to her! Why didn't he give it to someone who hadn't forgotten everything? Or why couldn't he give it to me? She had her turn."

"Emily…"

"The boys and Mia get everything because they're better…"

"No, they aren't," James stood up as well, "You're just as good as they are, Em. In fact, you're amazing. All your bad memories don't prove you're weak or you're trouble. They show just how tough you are. You've never quit before, no matter how bad things got. Hell, you and Mia were the only two to stick with Shin and the mentors the entire way through."

"Mia…"

"Stop looking at Mia, Emily. Stop looking at the rest of the team. They're only here because of you."

"Only?"

"You're a huge part of the team, Em. Go prove it. I know you can stop this Nighlok."

"By myself? No one's ever taken on a Nighlok start to finish by themselves before."

"Until now," Ji said and then he looked over her shoulder with a smile, "Of course, I doubt you'll be alone."

Emily looked to Ji curiously and then turned around. The Rangers had been hit by the Nighlok's dirt, but their Zords hadn't. All six Zords were behind Emily with big grins on their faces, ready to help if she needed them. She knelt down and let the Ape crawl up on her hand.

"What are you guys doing?" she asked. The Ape Zord jumped happily. Emily looked to it, and then to the others, "You're all going to help me? But you're not all my Zords. I can't…"

"The Zords have been known to do as they please from time to time," Ji smiled. He took Terran from Emily's arms, "It seems that for the first time, they've agreed to follow a different master."

"They think you're strong and important enough," James nodded, "And look at all those faces. You can't let them down."

"I guess I have nothing to lose," Emily took out her Samuraizer, "Alright guys, we'll try it."

"That's the spirit?" James asked, turning to Ji. The older man shrugged. Suddenly, Terran started to get unsettled. Emily looked slightly amused as she turned to Ji.

"He's probably hungry. He wouldn't take his bottle this morning."

Ji groaned and set off for the kitchen. Emily raced for the door. The Nighlok needed to be stopped.

-Samurai-

Emily decided that if she was going to draw the Nighlok out, she was going to do it somewhere people wouldn't get hurt. Going into the city, while it would provide her with a lot of cover would put too many people in danger. The Nighlok had already caused hundreds of people to suffer with his dirt; that number didn't need to go any higher.

So she walked to the rock quarry. It would still have enough cover in case she needed it, but it was far enough away from the city where no one had to get hurt.

She was already morphed and she knew that would draw the Nighlok's attention. He thought he had all the Rangers under his spell but he had no idea Serena had stepped in her place.

Just as she expected, it didn't take long for the Nighlok to come back. Fortunately she saw the Gap open up and she knew he was coming. She drew her sword. The Nighlok jumped out and immediately the attack started.

"I thought I got rid of all of you!" he cried as he threw a small ball at Emily. She deflected it with her sword and the bomb exploded a little ways off. As the smoke cleared, Emily saw the Nighlok coming for her. He had drawn his own sword.

Emily could hold him off for a bit, but he was strong. Eventually, she let her guard down and the Nighlok knocked her to the ground. As Emily picked herself up, the Nighlok blasted dirt.

"Symbol Power!" she cried, knowing she couldn't get hit by his dirt, no matter the cost, "Wall!"

A brick wall formed in front of her, offering her protection as the dirt hit the bricks and nothing happened. As the wall disappeared she raced forward, giving the Nighlok a few slashes to wear him down. Suddenly, the Nighlok got her again, this time by the throat.

"One lonely little Ranger," he smirked and threw her to the ground. As she pulled herself up again the Nighlok leaned forward. Hundreds of needles shot out from the many mouths on top of his head, and Emily felt the sting of each one. She hit the ground and couldn't get back up right away. The Nighlok threw another exploding ball her way, but the lion Zord jumped out of hiding and knocked it aside. As Emily slowly pulled herself up, the other Zords attacked, ramming themselves into and clawing the Nighlok to keep him distracted so Emily could recover.

As she got to her knees she heard something hit the dirt. She looked down and saw the Black Box had fallen from her belt, reminding her of its presence. She beamed happily behind the helmet and grabbed the Box.

"Super Samurai mode!" she cried holding the Black Box out. The white jacket appeared over her Ranger suit and Emily could instantly feel the power from the jacket coursing through her. It was like nothing she had ever felt before. It was as if time had slowed down and she knew what was coming next. Images of the defeat of the Nighlok flashed through her mind and she felt invincible. She clipped the Box onto her Spin Sword and leaped into the air as the Zords moved away from the Nighlok. She started to spin, around and around, creating a Cyclone. Her sword struck the Nighlok over and over again, from every side, until he was too injured to defend himself. With one final swing of her sword, powered up to a level she had never imagined, she took the monster out. Its body was covered it sparks just before it finally erupted.

Emily knew what came after that. She didn't have much time to celebrate her victory before the Nighlok came back and towered over her. The Zords came to her side, ready to be called into battle as more than just distractions.

"You're all I've got," Emily nodded her head, "We'll have to try."

-Samurai-

The defeat of the Nighlok broke the spell. The Rangers, who were now eating slowly, too tired to fight, but too hungry to stop and lie down, suddenly snapped out of their trance. Mia was the first to notice she had no idea what was going on. She looked to the ketchup bottle, which she had been about to squirt into her mouth and frowned.

"Not again," she muttered, "How did I get here? What are we doing?"

"You're not the only one this time," Antonio said, "Last I remember we were fighting a Nighlok…"

"Why are we covered in food?" Jayden asked, knocking a plastic wrapper off his stomach. He got up. Food and wrappers fell from his body as he did and he looked around the room. It was covered in pieces of food.

"The Nighlok was defeated," Ji announced as he opened the door. He hoped that the destruction of the Nighlok in the first life would mean the Rangers were back to normal. He saw the looks of disgust on their faces as they stared at all the food and he smiled. They were back.

"How much did we eat?" Serena looked around, "It looks like a buffet blew up in here."

"Just wait until you see the kitchen," Ji sighed.

"Wait a minute," Mike looked at the other Rangers, "If we're all in here… who defeated the Nighlok?"

"Where's my Samuraizer?" Serena asked.

"Emily's at the quarry," Ji explained, "She may need your help. I don't think the Samurai Megazord is strong enough to stop this Nighlok.

"Let's defeat him and let's do it fast," Kevin groaned and he held his stomach, "Something isn't sitting right with me."

As the Rangers rushed out to help Emily, Ji sighed in relief. Finally he could get some peace.

Just then, Mike raced back into the room, picked up a handful of cookies from the floor and he gave Ji a wink.

"What? I'm hungry," he smirked then raced off.

-Samurai-

With the Black Box, Emily could make the Samurai Megazord on her own, but piloting a Megazord solo required a lot of energy. Operating the Claw Armour Megazord with Mike had worn her out, and she had him to rely on.

Just as the Nighlok knocked the Megazord down, Emily saw all the other Zords racing into the help.

"Emily," she heard Jayden's voice and smiled, "We can't do this for long. Combine all the Zords into the Gigazord!"

"You can't do this for long," Emily rolled her eyes but she did as she was told. With all her friends to help her, she had just enough energy for the Samurai Gigazord.

The Zords assembled quickly, but it didn't stop the Nighlok from attacking. The Gigazord was huge, too big to move around and attack like the other Zords. The Nighlok took advantage of this and jumped back and forth, slicing his sword across the Megazord each time and all the Rangers could do was sit and take it.

"We have to do something," Mike cried as the Nighlok gave the Gigazord a head butt, knocking it back. "We'll never win if this keeps up."

"We might be too big," Antonio said.

Emily bit her lip and looked to the Black Box. The Gigazord was too big, but she had a feeling it was the only thing strong enough to take out the Nighlok fast.

"I got it!" she smiled and then suddenly disappeared from her console.

In the Gigazord, the ape Zord wasn't at the butt. Instead, it stood at the base in an even more useless position. For once, though, useless seemed to work in its favour. Without doing anything to the Gigazord, Emily detached the Ape from the combination. Now smaller and more maneuverable, she could attack the Nighlok.

The ape Zord jumped onto the face of the Nighlok, blinding it and keeping it distracted. With the little ape to worry about, the Nighlok couldn't attack the Rangers.

"Get him, guys!" Emily called to the others. She continued to hold onto the Nighlok as it did all it could to rip her off.

"You got it, Em," Jayden responded and suddenly the Gigazord jumped in the air, ready for its final attack. Emily and the ape Zord jumped away just in time as the Gigazord came down and struck the Nighlok with a powerful attack. The Nighlok exploded and the battle was won.

"Samurai Rangers," Emily smiled as she returned to the Gigazord cockpit with the others, "Victory is ours."


	116. Her Place

"Did you good, Em," Jayden put his hand on Emily's back as they walked up to the Shiba House. The Samurai had been congratulating her the entire way home, and they had been in complete awe at how she managed to destroy the Nighlok all on her own. Even Jayden, who had been a Samurai Ranger a lot longer than everyone else on the team, wouldn't stop telling Emily how impressed he was, and how he wasn't sure he could have done what she did.

"Jumping on that Nighlok's face," Mike said as he wrapped his arm around Emily. He hadn't been able to take his hands off her since the end of the fight. He had been hugging and kissing her the whole way home, "That was smart, Em, I never would have thought of it."

Emily smiled excitedly and looked to the Black Box in her hands. It was just another stupid weapon, really, but it meant a lot that she finally got the chance to use it. She was finally up there with the others. She was just as strong and just as capable as those who had years more training on her.

"Are you feeling better?" Mia asked, knowing the true reason for Emily running away. Emily looked up and nodded her head.

"Yeah."

"Do you want to quit?" James asked as he popped out of the kitchen. While the Rangers had been out finishing off the monster, James, Serena, and Ji had to clean up the mess in the house. There had been food EVERYWHERE.

Emily shook her head and jumped into James' arms. He had been right when he told her everyone played an important role, no matter their part on the team. After piloting the Samurai Megazord on her own, she knew just how much it helped to have every single member of her team with her in the cockpit. It didn't matter where the Zord was placed, it always had a purpose. She also realized that, had the ape Zord been a more important piece in the Gigazord, she never would have been able to detach herself and distract the Nighlok while the other Rangers finished him off.

"You win," she smiled to James as he set her down, "I don't want to quit. I want to stay right here."

James smiled and he looked to the clock, "And it didn't even take me a full day. Maybe I should consider co-mentoring with Ji."

"After today, I would appreciate all the help I can get," Ji walked out of the kitchen looking exhausted. "I knew taking care of the Samurai wasn't going to be easy, but this was the toughest day yet," Ji then turned to Emily, "Serena wanted to have a word with you."

Emily nodded her head. There was still one more thing she had to figure out, and it was more important that her role on the Samurai team. It was her role in her sister and nephew's life.

She walked to Serena's room and knocked on the door. She waited a few seconds before she walked right in. Serena was putting Terran in his crib. Emily closed the door and then looked to her feet sadly.

"I'm sorry, Serena, I…"

"I told you, Emily, all is forgiven. I met what I said on the balcony. I know you didn't mean it."

Emily nodded her head, "I still feel bad. What if I hurt him?"

"Thankfully, you didn't," Serena walked over to Emily and gently held her arms, "Terran's fine, and we're okay too. I just… I got scared. I'm allowed to get scared too. I'm just sorry it took so long for me to bounce back from that. If something happened that caused you to hit Terran, I should have realized just how badly you needed help. I'll protect Terran, even from you if I have to, but I know I don't. You're a good aunt, Emy. Great, in fact."

"Really?"

"The best," Serena hugged her sister, "The very best. Now can we put this behind us and talk about how you kicked that Nighlok's ass? Damn, Emily, I've never been prouder."

Emily beamed brightly as she looked up at Serena, "Yeah?"

"I saw the fight on the news," Serena said and she pointed to the TV in the corner of her room. "They keep showing replays of it too. You were awesome, Emy. If it weren't for the secret identity thing, I'd be showing you off to the entire world."

Emily smiled and Serena ruffled her hair, "Although, I did kind of help you out."

"How so?"

"The yellow Ranger was hit by the dirt. Everyone saw that happen. They don't know there's two of us behind that helmet. You look like the stronger Ranger, coming back from a hit like that and defeating the Nighlok by yourself."

"I guess I owe you."

"Call it even," Serena shook her head, "For all the times you kicked ass, but were outshined by one of the boys and their new toys."

"You know about that?"

"James told me," Serena pulled Emily over to the bed and sat her down, "It hurt, knowing the others were all picked before you."

"Some twice," Emily nodded. "But I was just being silly, right?"

"James said you thought you were worthless."

"Yeah."

"You're not," Serena shook her head. She lifted Emily's left hand, where her engagement ring sat, "This should have proven otherwise. You're Mike's entire world. You mean everything to him. Why do you think I keep giving him second, third, fourth chances?"

"I…"

You mean a lot to Mia too. You two both forgot everyone, and yet you were still as close as ever. She had no idea who you were, and she let you sleep in her bed."

"Mia told you?"

"I got verbally assaulted by Mia after you ran away," Serena nodded her head. "You mean a lot to her. I better be careful what I do to you. Your big sister's tough."

Emily chuckled slightly. Serena hugged her.

Kevin, Jayden, and Antonio all think you're worth something too. Sometimes, it may not seem like it, especially from Kevin and Jayden, but they're always looking out for you because you mean a lot to them. That's why they protect you, and sometimes why they push you aside. They can't bear to see you get hurt."

"Really?"

"I promise," Serena nodded. She took Emily's hand, "and I shouldn't even have to tell you how much you mean to me. My worst nightmare has always been losing you."

"Thanks," Emily smiled and hugged her sister. At that moment Mike opened the bedroom door.

"We're celebrating our win today and I want pizza."

"Food?" Serena asked and let go of Emily to hold her stomach. "After all that, you're still hungry. I might explode if I take another bite of… anything!"

"More for me, then," Mike shrugged with a smile, "Emy, you?"

"I haven't eaten like a pig today," Emily nodded her head and bounced up from the bed. She took Mike's hand, "How about we go pick it up?"

"Sounds great," Mike smiled and wrapped his arms around Emily as they walked out.

Serena shook her head and turned to Terran, "Thank goodness you're not related to your uncle Mike or you'd really be eating me out of house and home. Does he ever stop?"


	117. After The Long Day

Mia was finally in a place she recognized and it felt good. She had her fiancé by her side, Mike and Antonio were clowning around like usual while Jayden rolled his eyes. Serena was trying to put a tired Terran to bed, but Emily insisted he was awake enough to stay up for a few more minutes so she could play with him, and Mentor Ji was sitting in the corner of the room, watching everything without interfering.

"Alright," James said as he got up. He had been at the Shiba House for days and it was time he head home. Both he and Serena had been notified that the school was opening up again and he needed to be ready for when it did. Mia could understand his need to work somewhere where it was a little more peaceful. Even on the best of days, the Shiba House was still chaos, but it was a good kind of chaos. "Time for me to go."

"Emily, would you mind passing Terran over to James?" Serena asked. Emily huffed but gave her nephew to James for a goodbye. James gave him a light kiss on the head and handed him back to Serena.

"Hey!" Emily cried. Serena gave James a kiss and walked off to her room to put Terran to bed. James smirked and shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, kid, I work for her."

"I hate you again," Emily pouted and crossed her arms over her chest, "You don't get a goodbye."

"Thank you for all your help," Ji said as he stood up and shook James' hand, "We would not be here without you."

"Thanks," James smiled, but I had enough Samurai business for now. You guys are wackos. I'll see you soon, though."

"Drive safe," Kevin called as James walked himself out.

Mia heard a bag of chips rustling and turned to Mike. She shook her head, "Haven't you eaten enough?"

"We need to go grocery shopping tomorrow," Mike tipped the bag into his mouth, catching the crumbs. "There's nothing to eat in this house."

"He hasn't stopped eating," Emily rolled her eyes. "Only difference between regular him, and him under the spell was just how desperate he was to eat anything. I got up last night to change Terran's diaper, heard something happening in the kitchen, and… well. Mentor can probably tell the story a bit better."

"You were thirsty," Ji nodded his head and chuckled. He had been up all night with the Rangers to monitor what they ate. At one point he had tried getting them to eat healthy, but that soon failed when he realized just how much work it was going to be preparing them healthy meals every five minutes.

"What did I drink?" Mike asked, "I can't remember a thing of what happened?"

"The juice was gone," Ji smiled, "Mia was drinking from tap; Kevin had the jug of water. Antonio was drinking milk right from the carton. All that was left was the other milk."

"The other milk?"

"Terran's milk," Emily chuckled. Mike gave her a strange look.

"Terran's milk? He doesn't have… oh… Terran's milk," Mike's face turned green, "You mean… breast milk like… from Serena's…"

"There's really nothing wrong with it," Mia chuckled, "You know, humans weren't made to digest cow's milk anyways."

"Don't tell my parents that," Emily smirked.

"Ugh!" Mike stuck out his tongue to wipe it clean as he jumped up, "That's disgusting! Ew! Ew!"

He raced to the kitchen to rinse out his mouth. As he got to the doorway he walked by Serena and avoided her like the plague, jumping far out of her reach and sticking close to the walls as he ran.

Serena sat down on her stool and laughed, "How the hell did you get him to do that? I've always wanted him to run away from me."

"Mike drank something interesting while we were under that spell," Antonio laughed. "He'll probably be avoiding you for a while."

"Awesome," Serena smirked.

Ji yawned loudly, "I think it is time I call it a night."

"It's still early," Kevin looked to his watch, "We were just going to start the movie."

"I have seen it," Ji nodded, "Besides; I was up all night with you six. Even I need to sleep."

"Goodnight, Mentor," Jayden smiled and the other Samurai wished him a goodnight as well before he was off. Mia snuggled into Kevin on the couch while Emily reached for the movie bin.

"What do you guys want to watch?" she asked. Before Mike got back to the room she hid all the horror movies. For once she wanted to have a peaceful night, not one filled with bad memories and nightmares.

"You pick, Em," Jayden told her, "It's not every day a Samurai defeats a Nighlok all by themselves."

"Didn't you used to do it all the time?" Emily asked. "Before we were called."

"Moogers, mostly," Jayden shrugged, "If a Nighlok did turn up, it was usually no more trouble. But you guys were called because the Nighlok were starting to get too strong for one Samurai."

"Just pick a movie," Kevin smiled, "Any movie you want."

Emily dug her hand into the bin and pulled out a movie she hadn't seen in a while. There was a mixture of groans and smiles from her friends, but this movie was her choice and she wouldn't back down. She set it in the DVD player.

"Mike?" she called to him.

"Start without me!" Mike called back from the kitchen, "I can still taste it!"

Mia wrapped her arms around Kevin as the movie started. Everything was back to normal; just the way she remembered it.

"Why are you smiling?" Kevin whispered when he saw her grinning from ear to ear, "You hate this movie."

"For starters," Mia chuckled, "It came out three years ago and I remember it."

"Is that all?"

"I said for starters," Mia smirked, "my other reason is we have our team back and better than ever. Jayden and Antonio are cuddling on the floor; Serena and Emily are sisters again. Mentor's in charge, not his psycho family…"

"Mike's finally stopped eating," Kevin chuckled. "That's got to be an improvement. It's a good thing his girlfriend's from the farm. He'll have plenty to eat there."

"And," Mia rested her head on Kevin's shoulder, "I'm going to be married to you."

"I'm glad your memories are back," Kevin whispered and snuggled her lovingly, "I would have waited for you, but this is so much better. We don't have to start fresh…"

"We never did," Mia shook her head, "One thing I guess I'll never forget is how much I love you. I meant it when I said it the other day. I felt for you then, just like I do now. Thanks for not giving up."

"Never," Kevin smiled and he pulled her in for a kiss.

-Samurai-

Mike had come back ten minutes into the movie and snuggled up with Emily to watch it. He was so happy to have her back, both physically and emotionally. The hardest thing he had to do was leave her with Shin and the mentors, knowing it was very likely she was going to get hurt. Since that day, which felt like so long ago, he hadn't gotten her back. She had been either separated from him physically, or lost in her amnesia, or broken down from her lack of confidence. Now here she was, in his arms, safe, sound, happy, and exhausted. They were only halfway through the movie and she couldn't keep her eyes open. He gently nudged her.

"We can finish the movie tomorrow morning if you want," he whispered. Emily shook her head, desperate to stay awake, but she had to admit the day was starting to catch up to her. Though impressing, fighting a Nighlok on her own was tiring and way too much work.

"I can make it," she promised Mike. He wrapped her up in the blankets, and then held her in his arms. Ten minutes later she was out like a light.

"Stop the movie, guys," Mike said and the movie was instantly paused by Jayden, earning a pout from Antonio. Mike scooped Emily up in his arms, careful not to wake her, "We can watch tomorrow morning."

"Don't wake me up for that," Mia said and peeled herself away from Kevin. She yawned and stretched, ready for bed as well, "After all that food I'll need as much sleep as I can get. I gained five pounds today! I'll have to work it off."

"We'll all have to work it off," Kevin gave his stomach a pat. He could still feel the food sitting inside of him, "I feel gross."

"I found cookies in my underwear," Jayden frowned.

"I don't even want to know" Antonio shook his head and gave Jayden a kiss on the cheek, "But I'm going to bed too."

"Goodnight, guys," Mike smiled and he headed to his room. He laid Emily down in bed and collected her pyjamas for her. He threw them on her face, waking her up. She groaned in protest and rolled over.

"I was sleeping."

"I thought you'd be more comfortable," he said as he stripped down to his boxers. Emily lazily changed into her pyjamas, without moving much from her position on the bed. As soon as she pulled her shirt over her head her eyes were closed again. Mike crawled in beside her and hugged her close.

"You smell like pizza and cookies," Emily muttered, pulling away from him slightly to roll over so she didn't have to breathe his food breath, "How much exactly did you eat?"

"Enough."

"I'm never taking you to an all you can eat. You'd run them out of business."

"I like food."

"I can tell. Goodnight, Mike."

"Goodnight, Em," Mike gave her a kiss on the forehead and closed his eyes. After a minute he smiled, "You rocked today. I bet that white jacket looks best on you."

"You're biased," Emily whispered, "Now can I go to sleep?"

"Sure," Mike chuckled. He closed his eyes again, ready to sleep for real. Suddenly he felt Emily giving him a kiss. He opened his eyes and saw her staring, "Yes?"

"I never doubted you," she said. "I may have felt bad about my position on the team, but I know where I stand with you. I love you."

"I love you too, Em."


	118. The Team's Unity

After eating everything, the Samurai Rangers needed to do a big grocery shop. All six of them had gone together while Ji stayed at home with Terran, and Serena returned to school. The school wasn't opened yet, but she had been called, along with all the other teachers, to help get everything set up and tested for the arrival of the students. After spotting one Nighlok inside the school, no one wanted to take any chances.

Three shopping carts were being pushed. There were so many people under one roof, and so little food at home, they were going to need to purchase nearly everything in the store.

Jayden and Antonio were in charge of picking up meat and fish. Normally Antonio was the one to supply the house with fish, but there was no way he could meet their demands quickly enough, and for once had agreed that they purchase store bought fish. It was a temporary solution to their food problems, and it would keep the team satisfied while he restocked his cart for personal consumption, as well as sales.

Kevin and Mia were in charge of produce and dairy. Kevin, as usual, was stocking the cart up with every healthy food item in the store as possible. He insisted they fill the cart with fruits and vegetables, milk and yogurt, and minimize "junk foods" such as ice-cream.

Mike and Emily were left to pick up the bread in the bakery. Of course, the bakery also had other items, such as cakes and cookies. Both Samurai knew they couldn't sneak a cake in amongst all the groceries, but cookies were a must. After filling their cart up with bread and cookies, Mike and Emily went to pick up the other necessities from the grocery department (where they snuck a few more cookies and candies into the cart).

Finally, the three groups met up in front of the cash registers.

"Easily a grand," Mike said as he looked at the three carts and saw just how much food everyone had collected. He poked around through Kevin and Mia's carts, "Dudes, don't you think that's a lot of green foods? And that's saying something coming from me."

"After pigging out from that Nighlok, we'll need to eat as healthy as possible," Kevin said and pulled out a container of cookies from Mike and Emily's cart, "This isn't…"

"Put the cookies down," Emily growled and glared daggers at the blue Ranger. He put the cookies back in the cart.

"Alright, but these are going to last. We can't keep pigging out. Need I remind you that spandex shows quite a bit?"

"Need _I_ remind _you_ that _I_ was _the only one_ who didn't eat like a pig all night," Emily smirked. She picked up the cookies and hugged them to her chest, "I am still the same weight I was a few days ago, therefore I get to keep my cookies."

"Don't fight her," Antonio shook his head and laughed as he pulled the carts over to a cash register and started to unload everything onto the belt, "When it comes to cookies, Emily's always going to win."

"Chocolate chips?" Jayden asked, pulling the bag out of Mike and Emily's cart.

"We can make cookies at home!" Emily smiled.

Kevin groaned. This was the last time he left Emily and Mike on their own to do groceries.

"I told you we should have split them up between us," Kevin muttered to Mia. Mia laughed and looked up at him.

"Let a girl have her cookies."

"You're going to munch on some behind my back, aren't you? I thought you said you gained…" Kevin trailed off as Mia shot him a look and he knew he was about to say something stupid, "Wow, your hair looks great today."

"I'll kill you later," Mia gave him a gentle tap on the cheek; "You're the one holding all of Ji's money."

"Which is technically my money," Jayden said. He held out his hand, "Fork it over. Whatever's left, I keep."

"Nothing's going to be left," Antonio smirked as the cashier started to ring through the meats and seafood and the total started to skyrocket, "Those better be some good steaks."

"Dude," Mike called to Kevin as he inspected the bags, "What's the organic crap? Everything's so small."

"No chemicals or pesticides," Emily explained to Mike. "It's supposed to be better for you and the environment."

"And we need all the healthy food we can get," Kevin nodded, "Especially with your cart-o-cookies."

"You're lucky we didn't get cake," Mike smirked. He dumped the organic produce into the cart, "Geez, wouldn't it have been cheaper just to get the regular stuff?"

"Just keep loading the cart," Kevin shook his head. He pulled the car keys from his pockets. Knowing they would be coming back with a lot of food, Kevin had opted to take the rarely used van, which was usually only driven for Ranger business or when the whole team needed to travel somewhere they couldn't get to on foot or by bus. This grocery outing qualified for both. Unless they planned on stealing what looked to be four, possibly five shopping carts, there was no way they could walk home carrying all the bags.

"Why do the groceries take up so much more space in the cart when they're bagged than when they aren't?" Antonio asked as Emily came back pulling another spare cart to fill up.

"We're almost done," Kevin said as he watched the belt roll the last pile closer to the cashier, "I'm going to bring the van around."

"This is my workout for the day," Mike muttered as he lifted another bag into the cart, "This sucks."

Kevin walked out of the store and started making his way to the back of the building. The grocery store parking lot was so filled with cars, there were very few spaces left at the front of the store. Apparently, all the civilians who had been hit by the Nighlok's dirt, just like the Rangers, were also out grocery shopping today, filling their fridges and cabinets back up after eating everything.

As he turned the corner and spotted the van, he saw something else, or rather some things. Kevin quickly ducked back behind the corner and peeked his head out slowly.

"Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu?" he asked himself as he spotted the three Nighlok standing right in the middle of the lot, next to the Shiba van. He opened up his Samuraizer, ready to morph when something caught his eye. In Dekker's hand was Urumasa, the sword that had been taken from Dekker and locked away a long, long time ago. Kevin knew Ji had hidden it somewhere safe, but it seemed it wasn't safe enough. It was back in Dekker's hands, and Dekker and Dayu were talking with Serrator. Kevin glared at Serrator, "Why do I get the feeling he's behind all this? How did he get Urumasa in the first place?"

Kevin lightly drummed his fingers against the wall of the building as he watched the Nighlok surround the Shiba van. He could see his watch in the corner of his eye. It was the watch Mia had given him for Christmas.

"Mia…" Kevin muttered and it clicked, "Serrator's antidote. Serena never told us how she got it. And why would Serrator help us anyways unless…"

As Kevin trailed off, Dekker swung Urumasa and sliced the car in half. The Nighlok chuckled for a moment before Serrator lead them through a Gap and they disappeared. Fortunately it seemed they weren't back to cause trouble. Serrator wanted to send out a message. Kevin had received it loud and clear.

"I thought you said you were bringing the car to the front?" Antonio asked as the Samurai walked up behind Kevin, each pushing a cart filled to the top with bags.

"It's kind of hard to do when the car's broken," Kevin said and pointed to the van. The Rangers walked around the corner and saw the van sliced perfectly in half. Jayden let go of his cart and walked to the van to inspect it.

"It's a clean cut," he said, "Only one thing could have done this."

"Urumasa?" Antonio asked. Jayden nodded his head.

"That, or a really big pair of very powerful scissors," Mike joked. He was nudged in the ribs by Emily.

"This is serious," she chastised him then looked to Jayden, "But Urumasa's locked up, right?"

"It should be," Jayden nodded.

"We'll ask Mentor about it when we get home," Kevin said. He had his theories, but so far it was just speculation. He had no proof and after all the drama they had been through he didn't want to cause chaos in the house, especially if he was wrong. "For now let's just… figure out how to get home."

-Samurai-

James shook his head as he watched Serena cast another symbol and a nearly transparent wall appeared around the school. Within seconds, the wall disappeared completely, but James knew better. The wall wasn't gone; it was invisible.

The school had set up every security measure it could think of to keep the students safe from Nighlok, but Serena knew the only thing that could protect the students completely was a shield. It wasn't nearly as powerful as the one Jayden had set up around the house, but the school wasn't in as much danger as the Shiba House. Attacking the students, while slightly beneficial to the Nighlok, wouldn't be worth the effort. The Rangers, as always, would come to stop them, just like anywhere else in and around the city. So, while the shield wasn't strong, it was still a road block Serena was sure the Nighlok wouldn't waste their time trying to break through.

"I think you've done enough," he said and steadied her as she started to sway. All the symbol power around the school had weakened her, "Do you need a ride home?"

"Just give me a few minutes," Serena said, "I'll be fine to drive myself."

"You sure?"

"Positive," Serena nodded. She gave James a kiss and started for the car.

-Samurai-

Once the Rangers figured out a way back to the Shiba House with all the groceries they raced home. Even before putting the groceries away they went to Mentor to ask about Urumasa. He showed them the safe in his bedroom and assured them that Urumasa was locked inside safely. But Kevin insisted they open the safe. He had seen Urumasa with his own eyes and needed to know whether it was just a trick or if Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu had somehow gotten the sword back.

Ji opened the safe. The door swung open to reveal nothing.

"N-nothing?" Emily gulped and looked around to the others, "How can there be nothing?"

"Maybe when Shin was here…" Antonio started.

"Why would he?" Mia asked and shook her head, "I mean, he did some pretty bad things, and the doctor was twisted, but the one thing we know is that they would never help the Nighlok."

"It doesn't matter how he got it," Kevin wasn't even fooling himself. It did matter; he just didn't want to start drama until after he talked with Serena, "All that matters now is that Dekker has it again. Who knows what he might try to do with it. Why don't you guys get started with the groceries?"

"What are you going to do?" Mike asked.

"Take a walk around the yard," Kevin answered, "If someone took Urumasa, they must have left clues."

The Samurai nodded their heads and all started for the door except Mia. She gave Kevin a look that told him she didn't buy a word of his story. She knew he knew something.

"Kevin…"

"I got this, Mia. Just stay with the others, okay?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Hopefully something completely wrong," Kevin said. He walked past her and headed outside. To prove himself wrong he tested Jayden's symbols around the house. There wasn't a hole or break anywhere which meant it was impossible for a Nighlok to get it. That still left a possibility for Dekker or Dayu, but Kevin had a strong doubt that they could get inside the house without alerting anyone.

Serena pulled into the driveway after a moment and stepped out of Jayden's car. As she closed the door Kevin grabbed her arm.

"Ow! Hey…!"

"Shut up and follow me," Kevin growled. He dragged her outside the gate, just in case the Samurai finished with the groceries and looked out the window. When they were in the forest and the gate was closed Kevin shoved her, "Care to explain why you ex is carrying around the sword that, several times, nearly took our heads off!"

"What?" Serena shook her head, "I have no idea…"

"I saw Dekker, Dayu, and Serrator today," Kevin said. "They were by the van while we were in the store. Dekker used his precious sword Urumasa to slice our van in half!"

"Kevin…"

"Did you, or did you not give Dekker Urumasa?"

"I didn't," Serena answered then lowered her head and took a deep breath, "I gave it to Serrator."

Kevin had to resist the urge to beat her senseless. He crossed his arms over his chest and every muscle in his body tensed. He gave her a firm look, begging she continued.

"Kevin, I…"

"You gave the deadliest sword on earth to one of the most powerful Nighlok…"

"He said he would come to get it either way," Serena said. "Mia and Emily were still unconscious and he would send Dekker and Dayu into the house. Everyone was still recovering and…"

"So you handed it over?"

"He said…"

"I don't care what he said, Serena. You gave Urumasa to…"

"I knew what I was doing. He threatened you, all of you, and he threatened Mia specifically. What was I supposed to do, Kevin?"

"Talk to us before you do something stupid!"

"He gave me…"

"I don't care, Serena."

"As a thanks he gave me the antidote for Mia and Emily…"

"The antidote that could have killed them. You had no idea what Serrator put in there! You idiot!

"Screw off, Kevin," Serena shoved him aside, "It was risky, I know that, but I did what needed to be done to keep my family safe."

"You think your family's safe? What do you think is going to happen when Serrator sends out Dekker with Urumasa? He'll slice Emily in half, just like he did our car! Maybe you gave us a few extra weeks…"

"I did what needed to be done," Serena growled. "I don't like how Dekker has Urumasa but you guys are all here still alive…"

"And what'll happen when Dekker hurts Emily with the sword you gave him?" Kevin asked. "What'll happen if Urumasa causes him to remember Terran and…"

Kevin was knocked clean off his feet by a punch in the jaw from Serena. As he cradled his jaw in his hand he looked up and saw Serena glaring down at him.

"Threaten my son again…"

"You're the one who put him in danger," Kevin said.

Serena stormed off inside the house. Kevin picked himself up and followed her in. Serena marched straight to her room and slammed the door shut, alerting the entire house that the peace was over. Kevin walked to the kitchen. The other Samurai were still unloading the groceries. He walked to the freezer and pulled out the bag of peas.

"What happened?" Mia asked as she walked over to inspect his jaw, "Kevin, did…"

"Just let it go," Kevin shook his head, "You'll find out soon enough."

"Is this about Urumasa?" Antonio asked and looked to Kevin, demanding to know the truth. "Is there something you know that we know?"

"You'll…"

"No secrets, Kevin," Mia shook her head, "The last thing we need right now is secrets. Just tell us what happened."

Kevin let out a deep breath and looked into Mia's eyes. He could see she wanted the truth and she wouldn't give up until she got it. Figuring the Rangers would find out eventually, he saw no point in hiding it, "Serena gave Serrator Urumasa, he gave it to Dekker."

"She…"

"She said so herself, Emily," Kevin nodded. "She said Serrator threatened us, but that's not news. She had no reason to…"

"You're right," Mia interrupted Kevin, "She shouldn't have turned it over, but she did. It was wrong, but she must have had a reason for it."

"Mia…"

"I'm not happy with what she did, but regardless of how it happened, we're up against Urumasa, Dekker, and Dayu again, right?"

"Yeah."

"We need to be a team."

"She's not a Samurai," Kevin pointed to the door. "I'll admit, she's been helpful, but she keeps crossing the line! If we don't do something soon… OW!"

Kevin rubbed his head and looked over to Emily, who had thrown the apple that hit him. She gave him a hard glare.

"Mia's right. No fighting."

"Emily…"

"Don't make me storm off too," Emily crossed her arms over her chest. The boys looked back and forth between Emily and Kevin. They knew that on the one hand, Kevin was right. Serena had made a huge mistake by giving Serrator Urumasa, one that could tip the scales in the Nighlok's favour. But the girls were also right, the Rangers needed to be a team again. They had been split up for too long now.

"We can figure something out," Jayden said, "Serena should have told us sooner, but maybe we can still come up with a plan to stop Dekker and get Urumasa back."

"Without getting anyone killed?" Kevin asked, "You do remember what happened last time that sword was in his hands, right? Dekker picked us off one by one until you were forced to fight him. You should have killed him, Jayden."

"Serena jumped on top of him," Jayden shook his head, "I…"

"Should have gone right through her… OW!"

"Next time you're getting hit with a watermelon," Emily lifted the big melon. Mike got her to drop it and pulled her away from the produce.

"Everyone in the common room," Mia barked, "Now!"


	119. Talks Of The Troublesome Trio

While Emily tried to convince Serena to join the Rangers in the common room, the Samurai started their conversation. They needed to figure out what exactly Urumasa in Dekker's hands meant for them, and why, according to Kevin, Serrator wanted to work with Dekker and Dayu, as well as the trouble that would cause.

"Serrator's got his own agenda, right?" Mike asked, "He's working for Xandred, but he has his own army of Nighlok."

"And I saw him with Dekker and Dayu," Kevin nodded, reminding the Rangers of what he had seen in the parking lot. "Serrator's tough, he's proven that, and do we need to go over, again, all the trouble Dekker and Dayu have caused us? Dayu, on her own, is bad enough. Serrator, on his own, is bad enough. Why did Serena have to go and give away Urumasa? It only makes them stronger."

"I doubt she did it willingly," Antonio said. He wanted to give Serena a little credit, "Serrator must have threatened her or something."

"Serena's got a death wish," Mike said with a slight chuckle. "Serrator could threaten her all he wants, that wouldn't be enough to convince her to hand over Urumasa."

"He threatened Mia," Serena said from the doorway. Emily had finally convinced her to come out of her room to talk, promising that no matter what Serena said, Emily would stick by her side.

"Mia?"

"Dayu's threatened Mia too," Serena nodded, "That's how Serrator threatened her."

"Why is everyone threatening Mia?" Jayden asked. It was weird for him to hear. Normally the Nighlok wanted to target him because of the sealing symbol. He was sure Master Xandred wanted him gone, but it seemed every other Nighlok had their eyes on Mia.

"Dayu hates me," Mia nodded her head, "I know that…"

"Dayu promised to leave me, Emily, and Terran alone," Serena explained. "It was right after I ran into Dekker in the forest, after Dayu kidnapped Terran. I told her she could have Dekker because I didn't want him anymore. She agreed to leave us alone, but said she still had business left with Mia."

"Fantastic," Mia muttered and rolled her eyes, "Still, I guess I still have some business left with her." Mia looked to Emily, her eyes catching the very faint, almost invisible scar on her arm as she remembered the time she held her hand out to Dayu, offering the Nighlok a second chance she didn't deserve, and Dayu took advantage. Mia knew that had it not been for Emily jumping in the way and taking the hit meant for her, that moment where she opened herself up to Dayu would have been her last.

"But you gave Urumasa to Serrator," Kevin said, "Why…"

"He was going to come after it anyways…"

"He can't get into the house!" Kevin cried, punching his fists into the table.

"He would send Dekker and Dayu," Serena screamed, not afraid to go toe to toe with Kevin if she had to, "Mia and Emily were still out of it."

"We would have protected them," Kevin growled. "There's no way we would have let them hurt the girls or get Urumasa. It's our duty…"

"You think you could have stopped them?" Serena scoffed. "Dayu would have gone straight for Mia, given the chance, and Dekker would have turned this place upside down searching for Urumasa."

"Stop fighting!" Mia shouted, pulling the two apart and pushing them into their stools, "One way or another, we were going to get into a fight."

"At least my way, Dekker wouldn't have Urumasa," Kevin scoffed and turned his back to Serena.

"My way means the team is ready to fight," Serena growled. "When I gave up Urumasa Mia, Emily, and Jayden were all out of it. The team was cut right in half. None of you would have been able to hold them off."

"You both have a point," Ji said. "Serena's plan bought us time; unfortunately, it seems our time is running out. Why didn't you tell us sooner?"

"We didn't need to throw Urumasa into the drama already going on," Serena said. "I'm sorry, but…"

"Perhaps it is best if we all take some time apart," Ji said, "I will be studying in my room. Perhaps I will stumble upon something that will help us."

The other Rangers agreed to Ji's plan and went off to their rooms to cool off. Kevin stormed into his bedroom and started pacing the room, too preoccupied by what Serena had said to consider cooling down.

Mia followed him and closed the door. She crossed her arms over her chest.

"It is a big deal," she said, "but Serena was just trying to protect me, protect all of us. You have to admit, we're more equipped now to handle the troublesome trio than we would have been if she tried to protect the sword."

"But, Mia…"

"Can you please not fight, Kevin?" Mia asked as she walked to the bed and sat down. She had all her memories back, but she remembered how alone she felt when they had been gone. The team had been torn apart while she and Emily recovered, and they had only just gotten back to working together. Mia couldn't stand to see them falling apart again. She looked up at to Kevin, "Does it really matter who is right or what would have been better?"

Kevin let out a deep breath and walked over to Mia. He knelt down in front of her and took her hand in his.

"Mia…"

"Serena protected me," Mia interrupted. "Sure, she gave the most powerful sword we've ever seen to three of the most powerful Nighlok we've ever faced, but we're all stronger now. Emily, little Emily, just defeated a Nighlok by herself. We couldn't have helped her if she needed us. I'm scared too, Kevin, but don't you think this is the better of two evils? Besides, if Serrator came to you and told you he would kill me, what would you do?"

"She should have at least told us," Kevin grumbled because he knew Mia was right.

"She should have done a lot of things," Mia agreed, "but this is what happened. Please don't be a dick about it. If you alienate her, you'll be pushing away Emily and Mike. The team will be broken again."

"Okay," Kevin wrapped his arms around Mia, "I'll try to be civilized. I don't like what she did, but you're right, we need to work together."

-Samurai-

"Jayden," Antonio called as the red Ranger paced back and forth in the room. Urumasa back in Dekker's hands was having an effect on Jayden. Antonio could see it. Regardless of who possessed Urumasa, it seemed the sword wanted a duel with Jayden. For one reason or another, the sword wanted the ultimate fight, with a warrior who would give him a run for his money. Dekker was a powerful warrior in his own right, and when he wielded Urumasa he was a terror. He would stop at nothing to get the ultimate duel Urumasa craved.

Keeping the sword in the house had been a big risk, but it was the only place safe enough for the sword to be hidden. Day and night the sword would call out to one of the Rangers, trying to convince them to unlock it and touch it, allowing it to claim a new master. It called to each resident of the house except one: Jayden.

The Ranger had learned to ignore the sword, and over time forgot about it completely. Jayden never truly forgot, knowing that if the sword was ever freed, it would be coming after him.

"Jayden!" Antonio called again, trying to rouse his attention. This time it worked. Jayden stopped pacing and turned to his boyfriend, unable to hide his worry. Antonio gave him a small smile, "You've defeated Urumasa and Dekker before."

"Then why are they both still alive?"

"We don't even know what Dekker, Dayu and Serrator want," Antonio shrugged, "Maybe they've convinced Urumasa you're not worth going after."

Jayden shook his head, "That's all Urumasa wants, Antonio. You've heard it…"

"It wants the ultimate duel," Antonio said, "Jay, maybe if the rest of us train hard and catch up to you; we'll give it more options. It won't want to fight you…"

"I can't risk anyone else getting hurt," Jayden shook his head. "You need to worry about Serrator and the other Nighlok. Let me deal with Dekker and…"

"We're a team, Jay, and you and I are a team. I can't let you do this alone. I won't let you do this alone. If you even think about trying to stop Urumasa and Dekker by yourself, I'm following."

"Antonio…"

"I'm not messing around, Jay. I'd do anything for you. The team would do anything for you. You have to let us…"

"No!" Jayden shouted. Antonio was taken aback, startled by the outburst. "You have a mission, Antonio. Dekker and Urumasa should be none of your concern. The Samurai are meant to…"

"Fight Xandred, blah, blah, blah," Antonio rolled his eyes. "In case you've forgotten, Jay, I'm not a real Samurai."

"Antonio…"

"All I wanted to do was fight with you. Keep you safe. Ever since I was a kid, I've been worried about you," Antonio took Jayden's hands; "You were my best friend. No one understood me like you did. When you told me you were going to grow up to be a Samurai and fight the Nighlok, I started to worry. What would I do without you?"

"Same thing you did for the fifteen years we weren't together," Jayden shook his head, "Antonio…"

"I knew we'd meet again. Best friends have a way of reconnecting, but that wouldn't happen if you were dead. So I trained myself to be a Samurai and came back for you. I wanted to be on the team because I wanted to be with you, Jay. I wanted to make sure you were safe. I wanted to make sure that I did everything I could to keep you safe."

"But Antonio…"

"I fight with you," Antonio said, "No matter who you're facing, no matter what happens. I didn't come back to fight Xandred. I came back for you. If anyone wants you, they have to go through me."

"That's exactly what I don't want. I don't want you protecting me. I don't want you getting hurt for me…"

"Then protect me, Jay," Antonio smirked, "Keep me safe by working with me. Don't let me do anything stupid like follow you out into the woods when you try to sneak off to keep me safe. You know I'll follow you."

Jayden smiled, "I guess that leaves me with no choice then. To keep you safe… I guess I have to let you protect me."

"I knew you'd listen," Antonio smiled. He pulled his boyfriend in for a kiss, "Don't make me do something stupid, okay? We fight together as a team, and you and I fight together."

-Samurai-

After spending some time in her room to calm down, Serena knew she had something to do. She hated how she had to give up Urumasa and knew how much danger it put the Rangers in. Now, not only did they need to worry about Xandred's forces, but they needed to keep an eye out for Serrator, for Dayu, and for Dekker. If the Nighlok were smart and cunning enough, they could wipe out the Rangers easily, and Serena had done nothing to stop them.

She knocked on Mike and Emily's bedroom door and walked in. She looked to her sister.

"Can Mike and I talk privately?"

"You and Mike?" Emily looked between her fiancé and her sister. It was an odd request.

"Please, squirt?"

"Okay," Emily nodded, "I'll go play with Terran."

"I just put him down for a…" it was too late, Emily was already gone. Serena rolled her eyes. If it were up to Emily, Terran would never sleep. He would be played with 24/7.

"What do you want to talk about?" Mike asked, bringing Serena's attention back to him. Serena let out a heavy sigh and sat on the bed next to him.

"I don't agree with Kevin, and I don't regret what I did… but I know he has a point. We're in a lot more trouble now that Dekker's got his sword back."

"No kidding," Mike said. He took Serena's hand, "but don't worry. We'll figure it out. We always do…"

"Mike, I'm going to do anything I can to make sure no one has to pay for this," Serena looked him in the eye. "You guys didn't give Urumasa away, I did."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm not staying in the shadows, especially if Serrator, Dekker, or Dayu show up again. I'm not going to hide in the house while you guys fight. I can't do it anymore. I've made so many mistakes and I've watched you all take the fall for it."

"Serena…"

"You know how I fight, Mike," Serena said, "You know I won't hold back. I heard you say it early, I have a death wish."

"You don't actually…"

"I'm not protected like you Rangers, but that's not stopping me. So if anything happens to me…"

"Emily…"

"Terran," Serena shook her head. "Emily's eighteenth is less than a month away, but she's still just she is young. If anything happens to me, Terran goes to you."

"But Serena, if you…" Mike paused, he wasn't really sure what he wanted to say. This was too much all at once.

"You'll never leave her, right?" Serena asked and Mike nodded his head, "She'll still have him, and when she is ready for him, I know you'll do what needs to be done, but I want to make sure he stays with family."

Mike held Serena's hand, "Nothing's going to happen to you."

"We don't know that," Serena said. "Please just say yes. You'll take care of Terran and you'll take care of Emily, just in case…"

"Of course," Mike nodded his head, "but it's not going to happen."

"But just in case…"

"But it won't," Mike said and he hugged Serena tightly. "Taking care of Emily and Terran means taking care of you. You do what you need to do, but I've got your back."


	120. Training Sessions

Jayden had taken Antonio's ideas seriously. Though he hated the thought of dragging anyone, especially Antonio into danger, it was a bit of a comfort knowing that if he did have to face Dekker again, Antonio would support him, no matter the means. He also liked Antonio's idea of bringing all the Samurai up to his level. Even though it had been the goal to train his team so they could be their best, and to continue pushing them to improve their best, Jayden had decided, and Ji agreed, that the team should be evenly matched. It was likely Urumasa would still target Jayden but, this way, at best, if Urumasa and Dekker did realize that Jayden wasn't solely the strongest opponent, it was possible he would choose to challenge the entire team. After all, what was more challenging, and more of an ultimate duel, than facing six extremely powerful Samurai? At the very worse, Urumasa and Dekker would still challenge Jayden, and if Jayden did lose the duel, he would at least die knowing his team was well prepared for whatever fate had in store for them.

All the Samurai were lined up on the mat. Kevin and Serena, though still angry with each other, were doing what they could to behave by keeping apart and focusing on their duties. Jayden, normally, would force them to work together to flush out whatever was left between them, but today wasn't a day for any exercise except for good, old fashioned, training.

"You'll be with the very first training partners you were assigned. They'll be able to tell you honestly just how much you're improve since coming here, and then they'll tell you what you still need to work on."

"Not fair," Mia muttered as she found her spot on the mat with Emily, "You just defeated a Nighlok by yourself."

"I'll go easy on you," Emily smirked and tossed a training sword to Mia.

Jayden was already where he needed to be in his training. If he continued to train and improve all the Rangers' work would have little meaning. So he supervised and offered pointers to the Rangers, which left Antonio and Serena to spar with each other.

"Ow!" Antonio rubbed his arm after Serena hit him with her sword, "Was there any point in your life where you sucked at something?"

Serena thought for a moment then shook her head teasingly. She swung again at Antonio but this time he blocked it.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this," Kevin commented to Mike as the two of them sparred, "but you're really, really good Mike."

"You should see me without the sword," Mike smirked.

Suddenly, all at once, Mia, Serena, and Kevin hit the mats, giving Emily, Antonio, and Mike one point each. Jayden was rather impressed and he looked to Ji. Emily, Antonio, and Mike had been the furthest behind in training. Normally, when they were paired up against someone more experienced, they lost a few points before earning one back. Kevin and Mia congratulated their partners. Serena just jumped back up to her feet, ready for round two. She needed to win. She needed to be better than the other Rangers. If she couldn't beat Antonio in training, unmorphed, there was no way she could expect to beat a powerful Nighlok, Dekker, Dayu, or Serrator.

Round two began and Serena was quickly knocked to the mat again. Round three and four ended the same way. By round five, everyone had scored at least one point except for Serena. She punched her fists into the mat, jumped to her feet and stormed off inside the house.

"She's not even a Ranger," Antonio furrowed his brow, confused by Serena's outburst. He looked over to Jayden, "Isn't me winning a good thing?"

"She's fighting with us," as Mike explained Serena's choice to the other Samurai, Emily hurried inside after her sister. She found Serena in the dojo, beating into a punching bag.

"You're fighting with us?" Emily asked. Serena's beatings ceased and she turned to Emily. She nodded her head.

"I have to, Emy," she took a seat on the bench and invited Emily to sit next to her. Emily approached slowly, unsure of what to say.

"But I'm yellow Ranger."

"I'll never take that away from you," Serena nodded. "I'm fighting as myself. As Serena."

"You can't," Emily shook her head, "Everyone will know it's you…"

"I'll wear a mask. I'll hide my identity," Serena said. She lowered her head, "I just can't sit back anymore. I'm dating Dekker, I'm making deals with Nighlok, I'm giving them super weapons…"

"You're going to get hurt."

"I know."

"You need to stay here, Serena, where you'll be safe. I fight the Nighlok. You… you can't even beat Antonio!"

Serena clenched her fists, "I know, Emily…"

"And your Samuraizer doesn't even let you morph," Emily said, "You can only make symbols and… what… what if… what if you lose your Samuraizer? Right in the middle of a fight?"

"What if you lost your sword?"

"I have my Ranger suit and I can make symbols with or without the Samuraizer… I… I…"

"Emy, relax. I'll be okay. I know what I need…" before Serena was finished Emily was off. Serena groaned and followed her, "Emily, come back here! This job is risky, we both know that. I don't need to be in the battlefield for my life to… oof!"

"Are you still a fast learner?" Emily asked. Serena looked down at the bag in her arms.

"You packed up my things?" she asked, opening the bag to see her clothes were stuff carelessly into the bag. Emily nodded.

"I know a guy…"

"Who are you? Mentor Ji? Who could you know?"

"Jayden ran away once, I was hurt, Kevin and Mike were in bed hurt, our team needed help. Mia went to find these cool Kung Fu jungle guys, and I went to find Ninjas!"

"Ninjas?"

"Dustin, he can help you. I think Mentor said it was the Wind Ninja Academy…"

"Emily, what the hell are you talking about," Serena set her bag down and grabbed Emily's arms, "Squirt, I can't leave now."

"If you're going to fight with us you have to be trained. Dustin taught me how to use my Symbol Power without my Samuraizer. He can teach you. And maybe he can teach you in a way where it doesn't drain you every time you use it, like it does me."

"What does this Dustin guy know about Symbol Power?"

"He's an Earth Ninja."

"Earth?"

"He's like us… only a ninja."

"I got that…"

"Please, just try it, Serena. You don't have to be gone for long, but if you're going to fight the Nighlok without Ranger powers, I want you to be safe. Go to the Ninja Academy, learn some things there, and when you come back, I won't have to worry about you as much."

"Emily…"

"If you don't do this, I'm not morphing ever again," Emily held up her Samuraizer, as though she was ready to smash it, "I'll never morph and we can be the morphless duos, putting our lives in danger for the sake of stubbornness."

"Alright, alright," Serena rolled her eyes and picked up the bag, "I'll do the ninja thing. Just tell me how to… find them."

"Blue Bay Harbour," Emily smiled, "There's a store called Storm Chargers. Dustin works there. Ask for him."

"Storm Chargers. Your Ninja friend works retail?"

"Ninjas are everywhere, Serena," Emily stated knowingly, "At least, they are in all of Mike's movies. Besides, they're ninjas, they aren't supposed to have predictable hiding spots."

Serena rolled her eyes and gave her sister a kiss on the forehead, "You stay safe, alright, Monster?"

-Samurai-

After talking with Serena and seeing her off as she went to search for Dustin and the Wind Ninja Academy, Emily went back to training with the others.

Jayden watched over the training once again, still impressed by just how much his team had progressed since first arriving at the Shiba House. He remembered more than one occasion where the Samurai had each hit themselves with their own attacks. But they were far beyond that stage now. Even Emily, the clumsiest of them all would very rarely hurt herself in training. When she did, she could usually just shake it off.

In fact, the whole team had had to shake off quite a bit. They had been put through hell more times than Jayden could count and they had come out stronger. He couldn't see why Urumasa chose him over any of them. They were just as strong, just as powerful in their own right. They were all better than him at something.

Antonio always had the element of surprise. As a self-trained Samurai, very few of his techniques were actual techniques. He fought in a way that even the strangest of Nighlok thought was weird, and could always, no matter how predictable he seemed to get, surprise Jayden. And with all his knowledge on technology, Antonio could, if he wanted, pull a new weapon out of his ass that would cut the Nighlok in half easily (why he hadn't yet was a mystery, now that Jayden thought about it). Urumasa and Dekker would never know what was coming next if they took on Antonio.

Emily always had heart, and was the heart of the team. She would fight until her dying breath. She had never been the best, and even though she had defeated a Nighlok by herself, Jayden could tell she was still not quite in the top spots on the team, but he would never doubt her ability to push herself to and beyond her very limits. If anything, that would present a challenge for Urumasa and Dekker in itself. They would really have to knock her down, and still, if there was a way, Emily would get back up.

Mike was great, the best in fact, at hand to hand combat. In most battles, Jayden was just waiting for the moment where Mike would lose his Spin Sword and really let the Nighlok have it. Many times Jayden could see the sword was holding Mike back. If Mike did get into a fight with Dekker and Urumasa, separating the sword from the warrior would turn the tables in his favour instantly. It wouldn't do much for Urumasa, but Mike would definitely make sure Dekker could never hold the sword again.

Mia wasn't the best at anything in particular, but she was amazing in nearly everything. If she wanted, she could rival Mike in hand to hand, she put up a strong fight with a sword, earning her a spot as one of the best Samurai from day one, and her Symbol Power was amazing. If Jayden had to choose something for Mia, he would say she was the best with Symbol Power. She had been the only one to teach herself how to harness her powers without the Samuraizer. Jayden still hadn't figured out how, and neither had Mike nor Antonio. Kevin and Emily were the first to use Symbol Power without the Samuraizers, but they had been taught. All of Mia's skills put together, combined with her passion to protect her friends (which would even strike fear into whatever Xandred had for a heart), made her a force to be reckoned with. Dekker and Urumasa wouldn't know what hit them.

Kevin was easily the best swordsman. Upon arriving at the Shiba House, he had been second best compared to Jayden, but as Jayden watched on this day, he was sure Kevin had stolen his place. While Jayden had allowed himself to be distracted by Antonio (not a complaint, just a remark), Kevin got in some extra practice. He stuck to his training schedule on most days, and even on days where his schedule was busy, chaotic, or even thrown out the window by a Nighlok attack or some crazy drama in the Shiba House, Kevin managed to squeeze in a couple of hours of training. Sometimes even with Mia, who was good enough with a sword she could push him to improve even when they were fooling around.

If anything, they were the best on the team. They all had their skills and when they worked together, they created an invincible Super Samurai. It was no wonder all the Nighlok they had faced had met their doom. Jayden felt like he wasn't the best anymore. He had been at one point and understood why Dekker wanted to challenge him then, but now not so much.

Ji nudged him, letting him know it was the end of the lesson.

"Great job, team," Jayden smiled. He was very proud of all of them. He was now confident he had a team that could stand on their own. He didn't mind it if he was the worse, or maybe in this case least best, because if that was the case then nothing stood in their way. Urumasa, Dekker, Dayu, and Serrator suddenly didn't seem so threatening, "I'm sure there's a stash of cookies somewhere. You guys deserve it."

"No cookies for me," Kevin shook his head as he led the others into the house, "I'm on a strict diet. Do you know how far off track that eating Nighlok put me?"

"More for us, right Em?" Mike said with a grin as he hurried inside.

Mia wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulders, "So, you never did tell us where exactly Serena was going."

-Samurai-

"Storm Chargers?" Serena looked up at the sign on top of the store and frowned. She still had her doubts about a Ninja working here, but she trusted her sister and stepped inside the store. She wasn't surprised to discover it was an action sports shop. All the flyers around Blue Bay Harbour were advertising some kind of sport related event. If there was any money to be made in Blue Bay, it was in the sporting world.

She walked up to the counter where a red headed woman was sitting by the register and cutting out what seemed to be ballots for a draw. Serena looked around the counter and sitting at the end was a box for the ballots to be dropped.

But she wasn't here for whatever prize the store was offering. She cleared her throat.

"Um, excuse me, I'm looking for Dustin."

"Are you a friend?" the woman asked as she leaned back and looked through an open door that led to what Serena assumed was the backroom.

"He's my sister's friend… sort of."

"He's right here," the woman said and she called Dustin to the counter. He walked out, wiping his hands with a rag while she went to the back.

"Sup?"

"You're Dustin?" Serena looked him up and down. He wasn't what she thought a Ninja would look like, especially if he was supposed to be her Sensei for the next little while. Dustin nodded his head.

"One and only. What do you need?"

"I'm Emily's sister," Serena said. Dustin shook his head. The name didn't ring a bell, Serena could tell. She held her hand up, indicating Emily's height, "Short little thing? Full of energy? Adorkable?"

"Emily!" Dustin snapped his fingers as it came back to him, "Dude, that kid was awesome."

"Dude?" Serena groaned. This Dustin was apparently a Mike-type.

"Wait, did you say sister? You're Emily's sister? That makes you a..." Dustin leaned in closer to Serena and whispered, "Samurai."

"Only if you're a Ninja," Serena whispered back. Dustin grabbed her by the arm and started leading her to the door.

"Kel, have I told you lately how awesome a boss you are!"

"Dustin, where are you going now?" Kelly walked out of the back room with her hands on her hips, "You've been doing this for eleven years, Dustin! Maybe this will be the time I actually fire you!"

"I'll totally pay you back."

"You can start by punching out," Kelly flicked her thumb over her shoulder. Dustin nodded. He let go of Serena's arm and bounced to the back room in haste, promising Serena he would only be gone for a moment.

While he was gone, Serena saw Kelly staring at her. She gulped, unsure of what to say.

"Uh, family emergency…"

"Such as?" Kelly asked.

"His grandmother's in the hospital…?"

"His grandmother's been dead for a long time now."

"Well, then obviously someone is impersonating his grandmother," Serena said as Dustin raced back out of the backroom and grabbed her arm, "We'll need to get to the bottom of this."

Kelly rolled her eyes as she watched them both leave. Fortunately, after eleven years she had figured out what to do when her star employee abandoned her.

"Marah, Kapri!" in a flash the two girls were standing in front of her. It surprised Kelly every time. She couldn't even remember why she hired the sisters, but she could vaguely recall Dustin telling her they needed money desperately. She rubbed her temples and groaned, "Just… don't give out freebies this time, okay? When a customer leaves with an item, they have to pay for it."


	121. Serena's Away, The Rangers Play

As Kevin finished making himself a fruit salad, determined to get back to healthy eating habits Emily walked into the kitchen with the plate of cookies that the Ranger team had eaten after their workout. She chuckled when she saw Kevin's bowl of fruit.

"How long are you going to do this diet thing?" she asked, "You just as good as…"

"I can still feel all that junk sitting inside me," Kevin touched his stomach and turned to Emily and his fruit bowl. He grabbed it, "I'll need to flush it out. You should probably think of eating a little healthier too."

"Did you just call me fat?" Emily huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. She turned away from Kevin, "We're not friends anymore."

"No, Em," Kevin laughed, "It's just, after what Serena did…"

"Serena didn't do anything except save me, Mia, and Jayden," Emily turned back to Kevin with a look that told him she was serious. Kevin set his bowl on the table and took a seat. A conversation was about to start, he could feel it.

"I know you're loyal to Serena, Em, and I'm not trying to change that, but…"

"This is how it would have worked out:" Emily started, "Serena told me Serrator turned up at her school and asked for Urumasa."

"Yes."

"If Serena refused, I'm pretty sure Serrator would have annihilated her then and there. She was no use to him. If anything, she was standing in his way. Why wouldn't he take her out? Then, he would send Dekker and Dayu here. It would have been just you, Mike, Antonio, and Ji guarding me, Mia, Jayden, and Urumasa, though without a warning from Serena, because Serrator would have killed her or something, we would have no idea they were going after Urumasa. No one would have been guarding the stupid sword. Dekker would have gone after it; Dayu would have beaten you all to a pulp with her stupid instrument. They would get away with the sword, leaving you four battered and bruised. Serena would probably be dead and Mia and I would be dead because Serrator never gave Serena that antidote that saved us, and he never would have if she refused because she wouldn't have done him a favour. Face it, Kevin; you owe my sister Mia's life."

"Emily…"

"That's how it would have worked," Emily dumped the empty plate in the sink and started storming out of the kitchen. Kevin quickly jumped out of his seat and grabbed her arm. He spun her around, forcing her to look up at him.

"You're right," he said then let her go, "It's just… Urumasa, Dekker, Dayu, and Serrator?"

"I'm scared too," Emily looked Kevin right in the eye, "Urumasa possessed me once, remember? Dekker tried to kill me more than once, same with Dayu. Serrator hasn't done anything personal to me yet… but there's nothing stopping him. This is a combination of all my nightmares rolled right into one. I'm terrified, actually."

"Emily…"

"And instead of working together everyone almost started fighting again. I just had to send Serena away to keep her safe when, truth be told I want her here, and now you're fighting with me?"

Kevin wrapped his arms around Emily, "We're not fighting, Em. We're all on the same side, no matter what. No Nighlok is going to hurt us."

Emily smiled and let go of Kevin. She reached for his bowl and plucked a strawberry. She put it in her mouth and smirked. Kevin's jaw hung in shock.

"Emily! I just finished making it all perfect."

"You're too perfect, Kevin," Emily remarked as she slowly backed away.

"Now the strawberries aren't equal with the rest of the fruit! I'm going to have to find another one, weight it out and… EMILY!"

"I like grapes too," Emily smirked. She reached her hand into the bowl again and grabbed a handful, "You're right, Kevin, I should probably eat healthier. Thanks for making this snack."

"You little monster!" Kevin shook his head. Emily started running and Kevin took off after her. She darted around corners, slipping and sliding through the halls and all around the house until she turned around and headed back for the common room. The other Samurai were sitting around either reading, playing with Terran, or playing video games. Emily dumped her handful of fruit into Mia's lap then jumped behind Mike.

"Hey, Em, I was just about to…"

"Hide me," Emily giggled and made herself as small as possible, hiding herself completely behind Mike's back.

Kevin raced to the common and stopped to have a look around. He saw the fruit had been dumped on Mia, but Emily was nowhere to be seen.

Mia's eyes darted over to Mike, signalling to Kevin subtly where Emily was hiding. Kevin gesture for the others to be quiet as he tip-toed around Mike and suddenly snatched Emily up, lifting her right off the ground.

"Ah! Hey!"

"You owe me for the missing fruit, Em," he said as he slung her over his shoulder. "C'mon, you get to read the scale as I carefully, and with the utmost precision, replace what you stole."

"But that takes you forever!"

"Don't do the crime, if you can't do the time."

As Kevin walked her back to the kitchen, the remaining for Rangers exchanged very curious and strange glances. After a moment, Mia picked up a blackberry and put it in her mouth.

"At least they're getting along," she opened up her book and continued reading.

-Samurai-

After explaining to Dustin who she was and why Emily sent her, Dustin finally agreed to take her under his wing. Convinced she was telling the truth about who she was Dustin led her into a forest, explaining to her that he would take her to the Wind Ninja Academy to be trained. When they stopped Serena saw they were standing in front of a waterfall. There was no school nearby. In fact, Serena hadn't even seen another human being since entering the forest.

"The Academy is behind the waterfall," Dustin explained when he saw her confused look, "Take my hand, I'll let you in."

Serena took his hand then Dustin started to walk in the water. Serena looked a little closer and saw he wasn't in the water, he was on it.

"What the…?"

"Just don't think about falling," Dustin told her. Serena gulped. She knew how to swim, but this was crazy.

Slowly, she inched her way onto the water, all while never letting go of Dustin's hand. They walked a couple more feet before a portal suddenly opened up and sucked them inside.

On the Academy grounds, Dustin landed gracefully but Serena fell face first into the dirt. Dustin chuckled.

"You are Emily's sister," he said as he helped her up, "This clumsiness thing…"

"You didn't tell me we would be jumping through portals! At our Academy, we open a gate and walk right in. No magic."

Dustin shook his head and laughed, then gestured to the Academy. Serena looked around and her jaw hit the ground. In the distance stood a tall building, much taller than any Academy she had ever seen before. Before the building, on assigned sections of the grounds were mats where hundreds, perhaps even thousands of students spared against one another. They were dressed all in black, with either red, yellow, or blue trimming to their uniforms.

"We'll get you a yellow one soon," Dustin promised her as he gave her a pat on the back and pointed to a small cabin, "We're headed there."

"What's in there?"

"Our base."

Serena turned back to the giant building, "Wait, you have all that, yet…"

"When Lothor, our big bad, attacked, he flattened everything. All we had left of the Academy was Ninja Ops, an underground base that was made just in case there was an attack. We Rangers called it home for about a year, and we can't part with it. Right now it's more of a… Ranger safe place. When all these students are driving us mad, we hide in here. Tori and Cam use it most. They seem to have a really short fuse with some of these kids."

Dustin walked Serena over to the cabin and led her in. He then pulled open a trapdoor and had her follow him down the stairs.

When Serena walked inside the Ninja Ops she gasped, "Okay, Antonio would love it here."

A chair by the big computer swivelled around and Serena realized she and Dustin weren't alone. The man gave her a look, then turned to Dustin, looking annoyed.

Dustin threw his hands up in the air, "She's a Samurai, dude, just like you. And she's going to be my student."

"You're a Samurai?" Serena looked to the man in the chair. He nodded his head.

"Sensei Cameron Watanabe."

"Watanabe? Any relation to…"

"Oh Serena!" Dustin called her name and she turned around, only to find herself face to face with Daisuke.

"Now you show up?" she roared, remembering how he had left her without any notice at the Tengen Gate, forcing her to take over as Guardian until she trained all the other guardians to take over for her.

"You know each other?" Dustin frowned, scratching his head, "Sensei, you never told us you knew another Samurai."

"I do not," Sensei shook his head. He bowed slightly to Serena, "Kanoi Watanabe."

"Kanoi Watanabe… you're not Daisuke? What the hell is going on here?"

"Daisuke?" Sensei laughed and stroked his chin, "I guess we do share a few similarities."

"A few?" Serena rolled her eyes, "You're identical twins."

"Twins?" Dustin frowned. He looked to Sensei, "I thought you said Lothor's real name was Kia. Who is this Daisuke?"

"Lothor? What does he have to do with any of this?" Serena asked.

Dustin smiled, "Lothor is Sensei's evil twin."

"Wait, your big bad was brother to the Sensei of your Academy?" Serena rubbed her forehead. She could feel a headache coming on. "Hold up, if your brother was the big bad… I have just one question."

"What is it?" Sensei asked with a bit of a chuckle. He couldn't help but laugh at all the confusion in the room, certain that eventually it would all be straightened out.

"Does anyone know Mia?" Dustin's hand shot up. Serena already knew he had met her. She glared at him, "Not you. I'm talking to these Watanabes. Cameron, Kanoi, Kia, Lothor, Daisuke… whoever any of you are."

"If you know Daisuke, you must be one of the Samurai," Sensei said. He pointed to the table in the middle of the room, "Have a seat. We will explain everything."

-Samurai-

With Serena gone, it was up to everyone to ensure Terran was fed. Serena there was always enough milk in the fridge to last a week, and they had plenty of Sanzu Water handy just in case they ran out of milk before Serena was back.

As Mia warmed up a bottle for Terran, she turned to Mike, a grin on her face.

"Mind tasting this?" she asked, putting some milk on a spoon and holding it out for Mike to taste. Mike, too absorbed in his video games to notice anything, opened his mouth and let Mia spoon feed him.

"Mm, it's good."

"Not too hot?" she asked. He shook his head. "Not too cold?" he shook his head again.

"What was that?"

"Terran's milk," Mia smirked.

Mike dropped his handheld game and looked up at Mia. His face turned green as he ran to the tap and started flushing his mouth out.

"Not funny!" he gargled under the water.

Mia laughed and looked to Terran who was giggling as well. She put the milk in the bottle for Terran, picked him out of his carrier on the table, gave him a cuddle and fed him his milk. She looked back to Mike with a smile.

"There's really nothing wrong with it."

"Nothing wrong with what?" Antonio asked as he walked in to get himself a snack.

"Mike drank Serena's breast milk," Mia explained with a laugh. She couldn't stop.

Antonio started to chuckle. He looked to Mike who was scratching his tongue with a fork, "You're really fond of that stuff, aren't you?"

"She tricked me!" Mike pointed to Mia. She looked to Antonio innocently.

"Tricks? Pranks? Really, Mike, do you think I would stoop so low?"

"Lies! She's evil!" Mike cried.

Antonio shook his head. He reached into the fruit bowl, grabbed an apple and started to leave.

Mike glared at Mia, "I'll get you back."

"Bring it," Mia smirked.


	122. Earth Training 101

Some things had been cleared up for Serena.

For starters: Kanoi Watanabe was not related in any way to the former Elder Guardian of the Tengen Gate, despite sharing what Serena was sure was an identical resemblance. Furthermore, Daisuke was not just pretending to be Kanoi Watanabe, nor had he changed his identity completely in order to hide from all those he left behind, without warning or reason. Kanoi, or as his students all called him, Sensei admitted to knowing Daisuke, having run into him a few times while visiting Japan and taking a trip to the Tengen Gate.

Next: Lothor, the Ninja Rangers big bad villain, was indeed Sensei's identical twin brother. Not only did this mean that there was a third look-a-like (giving Serena a major headache), but that also meant that there was a family tie between the Ranger team and the monsters. Which Serena could relate. Though Terran hadn't chosen himself to be aligned with the Samurai, he was, and there would forever be that family tie to the Nighlok through Terran and Dekker, whether Serena liked it or not. Because of this, Cam and Sensei's ties to a bad guy were forgivable.

Finally, neither Sensei nor Cam had ever heard of Mia before, and insisted Watanabe was a rather common name in Japan. However, no matter how much Cam tried to convince her, Serena was sure there was another long lost family tie between the two and she refused to let the matter go. For one, Cam was a Samurai, just like his mother before him, and her father before her, and so on and so forth. While it was possible that there were more Samurai families out there, it was just too freaky to ignore. Second, Cam was the green Samurai Ranger, just like Mike. That had nothing to do with Mia, but Serena continued to use that as an argument to prove there was a connection, even if very thin, between the Ninja Watanabe family and Mia.

"So you want to train to be a Ranger, huh?" Dustin asked as Cam went to collect a training uniform for Serena and Sensei sat by the computer, insisting he watch this first lesson between Dustin and Serena. He knew this was going to be interesting and didn't want to miss a single second.

"I know how to be a Ranger," Serena said, "my mother trained me since I was in diapers. My sister has the only morpher, so if I'm going to fight with her, I need some extra power. My Samuraizer is useless, and I'll be defenseless if it's knocked away. So I need to learn how to make my symbols without using my Samuraizer."

"Alright," Dustin smirked, an idea already forming in his head. He waved his hand and suddenly the corner of the room started to fill with sand.

"Dustin!" Cam cried as he raced out from the back rooms, "I just finished sweeping up your last sandbox."

"Dude, I'm teaching," Dustin held up a hand, "It's Sensei Brooks now."

Cam rolled his eyes and held out a pile of clothes for Serena, "Your uniform. You should get changed so no one thinks you're an intruder."

Serena took the uniform from Cam and walked to the back to slip it on. It was tight, but it was almost made mostly of leather. She was sure it would feel a little more comfortable once she got used to it. After all, she was used to the cotton uniforms Ji gave the Samurai.

When she came back out the main room she saw Dustin pointing to the sand box. Serena walked to the box and looked down.

"Start digging," he handed her a small plastic shovel. "By the way, if you break that, you owe my niece ten bucks."

"It's a foot of sand," Serena said, "What is digging going to…"

"You came to me, remember?" Dustin said, "You want to learn how to use your powers without the Samuraizer. I taught Emily. I obviously know what I'm doing. Start digging."

Serena got down on her knees and did as she was told. Surprisingly enough, as Serena continued to dig she never reached the floor. Even after nearly two hours. She had a hole deep enough where she was sure she was going to need help climbing out, but she had still never reached the floor. She looked up at Dustin, exhausted from digging with the plastic shovel.

"Seriously?"

"There," Dustin smiled to her. He reached out his hand, offering her some help out of the hole. When she was back on the floor Dustin pointed to the whole, "Look, you made a hole in the sand without using your Samuraizer."

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope," Dustin shook his head. "Lesson one, done. Do you have a place to stay for the night?"

"Uh…"

"We'll figure something out. Why don't you get changed? You're covered in sand."

Serena grumbled. She dropped the shovel onto the floor and walked off to the backrooms to get back into her regulars clothes.

While she was gone, Sensei got up. He walked over to Dustin who was making sure he cleaned up as much of the sand as possible, minimizing what Cam would have to sweep up with the broom.

"You are not going to explain to her what you're doing, are you?"

"This is fun," Dustin nodded, "I've never had to teach someone who was just as good as me before."

"Just remember she needs to get back to her friends as soon as possible," Cam reminded Dustin. "She doesn't plan on staying here for long. You'll have to teach her, help her practice, and then send her home, preferably within a week."

-Samurai-

Evening training, Jayden decided, was a group bonding exercise. The team was coming together now despite all the arguments regarding Urumasa. However, Jayden still thought they would improve much more individually by improving as a group. He also thought it would be fun watching them try to work together on a task.

Thick mats were set on the ground as the Rangers prepared for round one of shoulder wars. Mike and Emily vs. Kevin and Mia.

"Alright, girls," Jayden looked up at the two girls sitting on their fiancés' shoulders, "Anything goes, but try not to hurt each other."

When round one started, Jayden and Ji watched to see how the teams worked together to take down their opponents. Of course, each team worked together quite well, just as Jayden and Ji expected.

Finally, Mia pushed Emily off Mike's shoulders, claiming victory. Jayden chuckled then turned to Antonio.

"Alright, round two. Antonio and me vs. Kevin and Mike."

"Let's do this," Mike said, bumping fists with Kevin.

Jayden let Antonio get up on his shoulders. He wanted to take part in this training lesson, knowing it was important the team learn to work with him as well as each other, but he wanted to stay as far back as possible to observe.

Mike was up on Kevin's shoulders and round two started. Jayden watched, very impressed, surprised even, at Mike and Kevin's teamwork. The two Samurai who had once been ready to chew each other's heads off were now working as the perfect team. They were in sync, they knew what the other wanted and needed, and in no time at all they pushed Antonio and Jayden over, winning the round.

"Very good boys," Ji praised them.

"Who's next?" Mike called, inviting someone else to challenge him and Kevin, "I could do this all night."

"Surely you two aren't invincible," Mia said. She looked to Emily, "Hop on, let's see what we can do."

Ji chuckled as he watched round three, but before he could see the winner he heard the phone inside the Shiba House ringing. He went to answer it, leaving the Rangers outside.

-Samurai-

With nowhere else to stay in Blue Bay Harbour, Serena had no choice but to accept Dustin's invite to stay at his place. He brought her to his house and showed her to the guest bedroom, where she would have a bedroom and a bathroom all to herself.

As she unpacked some of the clothes Emily had quickly packed for her Dustin knocked on the open door and walked into the room with a tray of snacks.

"Wasn't expecting company," he told her, "I didn't really have anything planned for dinner."

"This is good," Serena smiled, "Thanks." She pulled out the last thing in her back and a smile crossed her lips. She didn't think Emily would have time to pack anything but clothes in the minute she had disappeared, but her little sister had slipped something extra in the bag to remind Serena of home.

"What's that?" Dustin asked. Serena flipped the picture of her smiling, happy Terran around. Dustin grinned, "Aw, he's cute."

"Thanks."

"Is he yours?"

Serena nodded her head, "My sister and her fiancé are watching him while I'm away," she looked down at the picture and fell silent. She had been separated from Terran before, but every time it was hard. She trusted Emily and Mike completely and knew Terran was in safe hands with them and the entire house, but she still preferred it when he was with her."

"If you want to call home," Dustin pointed to the phone on the night table by the bed, "You're more than welcome."

"I've got my Samuraizer…" as soon as Serena pulled the device from her pocket Dustin snatched it and stuffed it in his own pocket.

"You're here to learn how not to use your Samuraizer, right? I'll be keeping this until you graduate."

Serena rolled her eyes and picked up the phone, muttering to herself. She dialled the number for the Shiba House and waited for someone to pick up. It didn't take long for Ji to reach the phone. She smiled, hearing his voice. It hadn't even been a day but it still sounded good.

She talked back and forth with Ji, asking what had happened during the day while she had been gone. Eventually she asked if there was anyway Ji could hold the phone up to Terran so she could talk to him. There was a silence on the line before Ji told her he had Terran in his arms and she was free to start speaking.

Dustin watched with a smile on his face as Serena spoke to her son over the phone. Up until now, he had seen her as a tough, focused, and snappy Samurai, but when she talked with her son, and even with Ji, she was gentle, kind, and she could even laugh. When she hung up the phone, Dustin smiled.

"Total one-eighty," he said, "That is not the same Serena I trained today."

"Of course. You think I'd treat you the same as my son? Especially after you have me digging holes for two hours."

"One hole," Dustin said as though it made a difference to Serena. He chuckled when she rolled her eyes, "I know what I'm doing, okay? You just have to trust me."

"But you're having me play in the sand. Mom made me stop doing that when I was two! If I don't get this symbol thing figured out soon, I could be letting my entire team down!"

"You're not even a Ranger," Dustin said. He took a seat on the bed, "I don't mean to sound… well mean, but aren't you not really needed?"

"The Nighlok are getting stronger," Serena explained, "There's this new Nighlok who's proving to be really tough. He's recruiting two other tough Nighlok and he needed me for something."

"For what?"

"We took a sword off a really back Nighlok and the new Nighlok, Serrator wanted it back. He threatened my friends if I didn't give it to him so I did. Now the Nighlok are stronger and I'm the reason why. If the Rangers get hurt because of me, and I'm just sitting on the sidelines…"

"You would feel guilty."

"So I need to fight with them, but my little sister, Emily, is worried for me. I'm not a Ranger, like you said. If a Nighlok catches me by surprise, I'm done for. That's why I need to learn these symbols. It's not much, but at least I'll never be completely defenseless."

"Well, I promise you, this may seem like a joke right now, but I am taking this seriously. Before you know it, you'll be kicking ass alongside your friends. I've met the Samurai, and I spent quite a bit of time with your sister. I was serious at Storm Chargers, she's an awesome kid. I wouldn't want anything to happen to her or your friends."

"That means a lot, Dustin," Serena smiled.

The next morning she was up bright and early. Dustin seemed to be an even better alarm clock than Emily and Terran combined. She was showered and changed, with her training uniform packed in her bag. Dustin packed a breakfast for them to eat in the car. This time, instead of walking, they drove up to the waterfall.

Serena's ears were tuned to hear even the smallest of sounds. The forest was void of human life except for her and Dustin at this moment, but Serena thought she heard something snap. She turned around to look quickly, then turned back to the waterfall, dismissing the sound as a squirrel or other woodland creature. Dustin didn't seem to notice anything as he stepped onto the water and started walking to the portal. Serena followed closely and, just like the day before, she was sucked into the portal.

Behind the trees, Octoroo stepped out, his tentacles hiding the grin on his face. He knew that once the Samurai Rangers realized that Serrator was back with Dekker and Dayu they would try something to get ahead and turn the tables back in their favour. Octoroo couldn't let that happen. The Rangers were strong enough. Though he didn't care for Serrator's life and he would actually be somewhat happy if the Samurai finished him off, he knew that was something that couldn't happen. Serrator was one of the toughest Nighlok in the Netherworld. At present he was likely even stronger than Master Xandred. If the Rangers defeated him, there would be no Nighlok who would stand a chance against them.

He found himself helping out Serrator's cause. The Samurai had sent one of their own away to another school, possibly to learn a new way to defeat the Nighlok. Octoroo wasn't going to let that happen. He disappeared into a gap, determined to let Serrator know of the Rangers' plan.


	123. Betrayed

Octoroo, while not Serrator's favourite ally – to use the term loosely – did, on occasion, show his worth. If the yellow Ranger's sister was on a mission to strengthen the Ranger team, Serrator wanted a way to toy with them; to let the Rangers know that no matter what they did, he would always be one step ahead of them. He approached Dekker and Dayu who were training in the woods and he whispered into Dayu's ear. When she nodded her head in agreement, Serrator snapped his fingers. Suddenly, Dayu transformed out of her Nighlok form, and for the first time in centuries she found herself back in her human body. As she patted herself down, completely mesmerized by the look and feel of her human form, she noticed Dekker giving her a look. It was a look she hadn't seen on him in centuries unless he was looking at Serena.

"Remember," Serrator said to Dayu as he held out his hands, giving her a change of clothes to wear for his mission for her, "if you do as I ask, I'll think of making this a little more permanent. Perhaps a double form?"

"Like Dekker?" Dayu asked. It would be nothing like being human again, but it was a step closer. She would be able to blend in on earth and wouldn't have to hide constantly which, until she found Dekker and Serrator convinced them to work together, made for a very lonely life.

"Just like Dekker," Serrator promised. Dayu nodded. She slipped her clothes on, finding them to be a tight fit, but comfortable once she relaxed. Then she pulled the mask over her head, leaving only her eyes exposed. Serrator gave her an approving nod and let her go.

-Samurai-

After her talk with Dustin the night before, Serena wasn't frustrated by his training lessons for her. Though they seemed rather strange, like throwing sand at his class while he taught, she knew he had a reason for them and she was just going to have to wait.

When lunch time rolled around and Dustin dismissed his morning class, Serena stopped throwing sand and sighed. Though she trusted him, she had gotten rather bored. Dustin had asked her to do so many things that any regular human could do on their own. Meanwhile, she wanted to learn how to use her Symbol Power without her Samuraizer. She couldn't see the connection.

As Dustin unpacked his lunchbox he gave Serena his second sandwich and a smile, "You know what I told your sister when I trained her?"

"What?"

"The power comes from inside you. If I gave this to my buddy Shane, would he be able to make cool Symbols with it?"

Serena shook her head, "Only my family can."

"Because the power isn't in the Samuraizer," Dustin smiled, "The power comes from you, and until now, your Samuraizer has just made it a little easier to harness."

"So, you had me digging holes and throwing sand around for fun?"

"You made a hole in the earth without symbol power," Dustin said, "You moved the sand around without symbol power."

"So?"

"That's exactly what you asked me to teach you."

Serena groaned. She rolled her eyes, "Are you kidding me? Dustin…!"

"It's possible," he told her before she could yell at him, "I wanted to show you it was possible for you to do before we get to the hard part. You told me it drains your sister quite a bit when she does this, and you don't want that?"

"I can't afford that," Serena nodded. "I need to use my powers almost effortlessly, like you."

"My next class is a beginner's class," Dustin told her, "You're free to join in. You'll probably be a lot more advanced in the martial arts, but I'm sure you'll learn something."

"Finally," Serena smiled, "A real lesson."

Dustin nodded and then looked over his shoulder. He saw his friends waving him over, wanting to talk to him about the possibility of combining their classes at some point during the week. Dustin gave Serena a pat on the shoulder as he got up.

"There's still a couple of hours before class starts. Why don't you have a look around? I'll meet you back here at 2:00. If you get lost, remember, you're connected to the earth. Let it guide you back. See ya later, dude."

"Wow," Serena chuckled. She got up to her feet and shook her head, watching Dustin run off with the other senseis, "He almost sounded like a legit sensei."

Serena looked around the Academy grounds. Taking a walk and seeing the sights, learning about the Ninjas did fascinate her, and it would give her a few stories to tell once she got home. She was sure Mike would want to know what real, modern day Ninjas were like and Kevin would be fascinated by the history.

She made her way around the grounds for the two hours, taking in as much as she could. Most of the Academy was all natural, with forests, lakes, and a few hills, making the entire grounds one big training arena where students of all elements could find their home in the dirt, near the sky, or by the water.

The Academy itself loomed over Serena wherever she went, allowing her to find her way around no matter where she went. She hoped she would stick around long enough for Dustin, or one of the other senseis to give her the tour. She was sure to find something of interest inside the large building.

Two o'clock rolled around and Serena hurried back. She didn't want to be late for her very first lesson, especially when she was a known outsider. The Ninjas had taken her in and had accepted to teach her their ways. She had to respect their home and their schedule. She also needed to leave them with a good impression of the Samurai. Though most of the students and senseis were ninjas, Serena had already met Cam and knew he was a Samurai. Surely there were more, but she doubted there were enough for these Ninjas to get to know and understand the life of a Samurai, especially a real Samurai.

She got to training only a few minutes late and stuck to the back of the group, disturbing as few people as possible. Dustin noticed her late entrance, but with his eyes he gave her a look that told her it was okay. He was a very relaxed sensei, and she was sure it wasn't the first time a new student had gotten lost while exploring. She was determined not to let it happen again, though.

During the lesson, Serena was the top student when it came to practicing martial arts. Dustin had even used her as a model to show his beginner class what they were working towards, and what they would eventually be able to do without putting much thought into it.

When it came to harnessing her powers, though, Serena was at the very bottom of the class. Try as she might, she couldn't do anything Dustin instructed. When she pounded her fists into the dirt, Dustin walked by.

"You dug a hole without your Samuraizer once," he reminded her, "the power is inside you. Focus on what you feel and clear your mind of everything else."

Serena tried to do as he said, but before she could clear her mind, Dustin announced the end of the class. He dismissed his students and stood, watching as they picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and started heading in different directions. Some were headed for home, others to the Academy. After a few moments, it was only Serena and Dustin left on the training grounds. Dustin walked up to her.

"You did great today."

Serena lowered her head, "I didn't do anything new."

"You're working on it. You know, Shane, Tori, and I were all at the bottom of the class when we began Power Rangers. But we defeated Lothor. In less than a year we went from failing students to teachers. I'm sure you'll figure this out in no time."

"I hope so," Serena nodded, "Every moment I'm here is a moment where the Samurai are without me. They can take care of themselves, but what if something happens. I'm here because I want to be there."

"I'll get you in and out, Serena, I promise. Look, I've got to go give Cam a report on the students' progress. It'll take some time because he likes detail and, as you saw, I have a lot of students. Why don't you go have a look around again? Find the spot where you feel closest to the earth and work a little more on the lesson."

"Thanks, Dustin," Serena smiled. As he walked off to Ninja Ops, Serena started for the forest. Normally she associated the forest with Mike's element, but the Ninjas didn't have a forest element. As far as she knew, all they had was air, earth, and water. But the forest and the earth were so closely related because of the dirt and rocks, and because without the earth there would be no place for the forest to grow. She figured if there was anywhere she could feel connected to her element, it was in there.

She found a bit of a clearing and dropped to her knees in the dirt.

"_Focus on what you feel and clear your mind of everything else."_

She knew she needed to feel the earth. She had done this many times with her mother, and had instructed Emily to do the same when she had been struggling to her. Clearing her mind was also easy. She had done so before. Her mother had taught her how to meditate at a young age and Serena still remembered how to do it.

So she tried to relax and focused on the dirt beneath her. She tried to feel the earth and everything else surrounding her. Just as her mind started to clear completely someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her body and covering her mouth, keeping her from screaming for help.

"You didn't think Serrator would let you get help from the Ninjas, did you?"

Serena recognized the voice; it was Dayu. Somehow, Dayu had broken onto the Wind Academy grounds. Serena struggled to get free, but already knew Dayu was strong enough to overpower her. Dayu had already kicked her ass a number of times before, and this time seemed to be no exception. For a moment, Serena thought she had a chance at escape.

"Calm down, Serrator has no intention of killing you," Dayu told her, securing her hold around the Samurai.

-Samurai-

"Whatcha reading?" Emily poked her nose over Mia's book and looked down at the pages. Mia chuckled and closed the book.

"Just a novel Kevin thought I would like."

"And do you?"

"It's pretty good. I only just got started though."

"Well," Emily stood up strayed and rocked back and forth on her feet, "You know how you've been pranking Mike with Serena's breast milk?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, he's fast asleep with Terran in Serena's room, and he just fed Terran his bottle. The house is kind of quiet today so I figured we could have a little fun."

"I could probably come up with something," Mia nodded and she followed Emily to Serena's bedroom. Emily opened the door, and then stepped aside, allowing Mia to walk in first. Mia stepped into the room. Just as soon as she did, she was hit by a jet of freezing cold water.

"MIKE!" she screeched, seeing him standing in the middle of the room with a water gun.

"I told you I would get you back!" Mike said and then he squirted her again.

"You tricked me!" Mia held her hand up, trying to deflect the water as she glared at Emily, "You little monster."

"Do you know what a water balloon is?" Emily asked, pulling two out of her sweater pocket.

"Don't you dare," Mia warned her.

"She's right, Em," Mike said. He squirted Mia again as he made his way closer to her, "Let's get her outside first."

"Mike! Stop it!" Mia back away from Mike, but soon found herself running, trying to get away from Mike and the water gun. Eventually, Mike and Emily had her cornered by the front door. Mike shot her with water until she had no choice but to leave the house. As soon as she stepped outside, Emily tossed the water balloons, showering her with freezing cold water. When the attack on Mia was done, the two closed the door and Mia heard the lock.

"Mike finally got you back, huh," Antonio chuckled as he and Jayden stood by the barbecue. Antonio was grilling up some fish for dinner and Jayden, as always, was helping him out.

"I guess I deserved it," Mia nodded and pulled on her wet shirt. She was standing on the front porch dripping water like she had just come out of the ocean. Her hair was soaked, her clothes were soaked, and she was cold. She turned to the boys, "That's the last time I trust either of them when one of them tells me they'll get me back."

"Your fault," Jayden nodded.

Mia held out her hand, "They locked the door and my keys are inside. Can one of you…?"

"We don't have our keys. But Kevin should be home soon with his set. He just went for a walk with Terran."

"Terran's not even in the house," Mia grumbled.

Antonio and Jayden laughed as they waved Mia over to the barbecue, "It's warm here, and you can dry off a bit while you wait."

Mia walked over to the barbecue. Just before she reached the picnic area, she was splashed again by two water balloon. She glared at Jayden and Antonio. They shrugged.

"The whole house was in on it."

-Samurai-

When Serena came to she found herself in the forest. She grabbed her head as the black spots faded slowly from her vision and she had a look around. From what she could tell, nothing had happened. Dayu grabbed her, knocking her out, and left her alone. There were barely any marks on her body, not enough to indicate she had been beaten.

As she moved around, trying to gather up her stuff, hoping she could remember her way back to Dustin, she noticed something shinning in the light, almost completely buried in the dirt. She couldn't remember seeing anything there before, nor had she sensed it when she tried to connect with the earth.

"This is not my day," she muttered. Now, not only did she feel sick and sore, but she had to warn the Ninjas that Dayu was somewhere in the Academy, and she had to make sure the Nighlok didn't leave anything dangerous lying behind. Serena dug out the shining object and gasped. It was a katana smeared in blood. Serena dropped the sword and instantly patted herself down. She didn't feel like she had been cut, but her head was throbbing so much it was hard to feel much of the rest of her body.

"Serena!" she heard someone call out her name before Dustin appeared from behind the trees. He saw her sitting in the dirt and raced over to her. He felt down before her and grabbed her arms, "Serena, something's happened."

Dustin's eyes trailed off when he saw the katana stained in blood. Serena noticed a look of horror on his face.

"What happened?" Serena asked. Dustin got back to his feet and stepped away from Serena, petrified.

"I… I told the others there was no way… I defended you!" Dustin screamed. Serena gave him a strange look before she put the pieces together. The sword, the blood, Dayu – she was being set up. She dropped the katana and looked up at Dustin.

"I didn't do it! Dustin, Dayu…"

"No!" Dustin shook his head. Tears brimmed his eyes, "It… it had to be you. You have the sword; you're the only person aside from Cam who could… Why?"

By now Dustin was hysterical. Something bad had happened and he was sure she did it. Serena jumped up to her feet, hoping she could convince him otherwise, but as soon as she was up he shoved her, wrestling her to the ground. Serena didn't want to hurt him but Dustin wasn't afraid to hold back. He pinned her on her stomach on the ground and pulled her arms roughly behind her back.

"I didn't do it!" she shouted, hoping Dustin would snap out of it and believe her. Instead, he used his belt, binding her wrists together behind her back. He pulled her aggressively to her feet, squeezing her arm tightly in his hand so she couldn't run off. He bent down and picked up the katana.

"He was family to me," Dustin muttered as he pulled Serena along with him on his way back to the Academy.


	124. The Murder

Framed. Serena was being framed.

She had to admit, Dayu's plan had merit. Serena had been on her own for a while, which, as she understood, was when the crime was committed. She still had no idea what she was being framed for, but she was sure it was going to come out eventually.

She cooperated as Dustin dragged her back to Ninja Ops, barely complaining as he tugged aggressively on her arm. She thought she could earn herself some trust points by working with the Ninjas. After all, she had nothing to hide. She would tell the truth. It was up to them whether or not they believed her.

Dustin shoved her roughly into the base, where Serena stumbled over her own feet and fell face first onto the floor. She groaned painfully, unable to break her fall with her hands which were bound tightly behind her, her nose had collided with the hard floor. She was sure it was broken, or at least painfully bruised. But when she looked up, all the pain from her nose disappeared as her eyes fell upon something worse – much worse.

"Sensei Watanabe?" she struggled to get up to her knees and looked down at the dead body of Kanoi Watanabe. Tears stung her eyes. She hadn't known him for long but he had been friendly and he had reminded her quite a bit of Ji. From the stories Dustin had told her about him, she knew he had been a fatherly mentor to the Ninja Rangers since the day they joined the Ninja Academy.

He had nearly been sliced in half right across the gut, and a few other slash marks bled out onto his robes. Because he was a sensei, it would take someone of great skill to do this to him, and his injuries were clearly the work of a sword. Some students at the Academy were trained to use swords, but not many, and those who were couldn't have done this to Sensei.

"Don't pretend to be upset," Dustin growled as he grabbed her again and dragged her away from Kanoi. He pulled her up onto the chair and sat her down. Serena looked up at Dustin. He hadn't stopped crying since he had seen her with the bloody sword. His Sensei meant a lot to him and his death was painful for the earth Ninja.

"Dustin, I swear on everything I love, I didn't do this," Serena looked him right in the eye.

"Shut up!"

"Why would I do this, Dustin?" Serena screamed. "I was in the woods, just like you told me. Dayu…"

"How the hell would a Nighlok get in here?" Dustin shouted. "Just shut up! I won't believe you!"

"Dustin…"

"Shut up!" Dustin screamed and punched her in the side of the face. Serena's head was already throbbing from what Dayu did to her, and Dustin's punch did nothing to help. She started seeing stars, then spots, then she blacked out again.

When she woke up she found herself lying in a bed, secured by restraints. She was in a room, and from the design and the décor she could tell she was still at the Wind Ninja Academy. She knew she was a prisoner; the Ninjas were taking no precautions. After all, they did believe she killed their beloved Sensei.

The door opened and a woman walked in. Serena recognized her as one of Dustin's friends, another sensei. The blue of her uniform told Serena she was a water Ninja, but she couldn't remember much else.

"Tori," the woman introduced herself, "and you're lucky it's me."

Serena thought of introducing herself, but she was sure everyone knew her name.

"Shane wants you banished. Cam wants you dead. Dustin wants you to suffer."

"And what do you want?" Serena asked.

"You're the only person who could have done this, and if you did…"

"If?" Serena smiled only slightly. If meant there was doubt. If meant it was possible someone could believe her. All she needed was one person on her side.

"Just tell me your story," Tori crossed her arms over her chest, "Dustin says you think a Nighlok did this."

Serena nodded her head and she tried to recall what happened. If Dayu hadn't given her a concussion, Dustin definitely had. With as much detail as she could remember, she told Tori exactly what happened. She shared her own doubts and concerns. Dayu getting inside the Academy was a mystery to her, but it had happened. The entire time, Tori's expression never faltered. She just stood at the end of the bed as cold and uncaring as she had been when she walked through the door.

"I'd accuse me too if I were you," Serena finished her story, "but please, you have to believe me. I'm a Samurai! I wouldn't kill another human. I'm here to save the world, remember?"

"We'll see," Tori said. At that moment the door opened again. It was another man Serena recognized as a friend of Dustin's: Shane. He was holding her Samuraizer and it was flipped open. He held it out to her.

"Your sister's on the phone," he told her. "Something about your baby."

Serena nodded her head and her Samuraizer was held to the side of her face, "Emy?"

"Why is someone else answering your Samuraizer?"

Serena could hear Terran crying in the background, "Dustin took it from me. I'm trying not to need it. What's wrong with Terran?"

"I don't know. I fed him, burped him, gave him Sanzu Water, burped him again, changed him, tried to play with him…"

"Is he tired?"

"He slept all night. But I'm tired. Is there any way you can convince Dustin to come here to train you? I think he misses his mommy."

Serena looked down at her restraints and sighed, "Sorry, squirt. Just give him a cuddle and play something for him on the flute. I'm sure he'll settle soon."

"But…"

"Sorry, Emy, I've got to go," Serena said as Shane started to pull her Samuraizer away, "I love you."

Shane slapped the Samuraizer shut and glared at Serena, "Didn't bother telling her what you did, huh?"

"I didn't do anything," Serena looked to both Shane and Tori, "I know what it looks like, but I swear, I'm being framed…"

"We have every ninja searching the grounds for a Nighlok," Shane told her. "No one has seen one anywhere, and I doubt a big, ugly monster could blend in here."

"They travel through gaps," Serena explained. "Anywhere there's a crack or a hole they can get in. One could appear right now, right under my bed!"

"Doesn't explain the video."

"What video?"

"You think we'd have a base like Ninja Ops, and we wouldn't set up some kind of security system?" Shane pulled out his phone and showed Serena the footage of the attack. Someone, clearly not a Nighlok, walked right into Ninja Ops and attacked Sensei, using a sword to take his life. The person's face was hidden by a mask which meant it could have been anyone who attacked, but the way the person used the sword, and the way she – it was obviously a woman – overpowered Sensei meant she was skilled. Within minutes, Sensei was dead, and the attacker rushed out of Ninja Ops, taking the sword with her.

The same sword Dustin found in Serena's hands when he reached her in the forest.

"That wasn't me!" Serena shrieked. "I swear, I didn't do it! I…"

"Who else could have done it," Tori asked. "It wasn't a Nighlok. We know it wasn't one of us."

"I don't know," Serena pulled on her restraints, "Please, you have to believe me. I never would have…"

"All the evidence points to you…"

"I didn't even have a sword here when I came!" Serena said, "Where would I find one?"

"You're a Samurai…"

"Exactly! I'm a Samurai! You're the Ninjas! You're the assassins!"

"I knew it," Shane shook his head sadly; "I knew that's what this was about."

Serena's eyes widened. She had just dug herself a deeper hole.

"No… No, that's not…"

"Your trial is tomorrow," Shane announced to her as he turned to leave, "And, seeing as you killed Sensei, you'll be tried by the person taking his place. Good luck trying to convince Cam you didn't kill his father."

"I didn't!" Serena's screams fell on deaf ears as Tori and Shane walked out. Serena struggled against her bonds but knew it was no use. There was no getting out. She needed to prove she was innocent, but she couldn't from the bed. "Damn you, Emily," she muttered, remembering it was Emily who sent her here. Then she remembered why. She was here to use her Symbol Power without the Samuraizer. It was possible. Dustin believed in her, and his training was to guide her to the powers she already possessed. Emily had done it before, and Kevin as well. Serena had witnessed Mia doing it for the first time.

Desperate times called for desperate measures. With nothing else to do, and nothing else to worry about except proving her innocence, Serena closed her eyes and relaxed. She focused her thoughts on her powers and she could feel it burning up inside of her. With a shaky hand she held out her finger and traced the symbol for release. She just barely got through all the strokes and spun it weakly. When she did, the bonds snapped off. Serena breathed a heavy sigh of relief. She took a few moments to breathe before sitting up on the bed. She massaged her head as it continued to throb, then her feet touched the floor. She stood up slowly, feeling like she was ready to vomit as the room spun around her. She took another moment to catch her breath, calming herself down. The room continued to spin, and the ground shifted under her feet, but she knew it was all in her head. She focused again on her powers, and her connection to the earth, and she let that guide her to the window. She climbed out; thankful she was only on the first floor. Now it was easiest to navigate herself with her connection to the earth. It was nothing but dirt and grass under her feet. Until she wasn't so dizzy and tired, she was going to need to find a place to hide. Everyone was looking for her, and she still had no idea what Dayu wanted with her, or who Sensei's true murderer was.

But she was going to find her. She was going to find the murderer, find Dayu, and prove herself innocent.

She ran from the Academy and into the forest. The more she surrounded herself with her element, the better she felt, and she needed to find a place to hide quickly. The Ninjas weren't going to be happy when they discovered she got away.


	125. Captured

Serena found herself climbing up into a tree for shelter. She preferred to stay on the ground but she needed somewhere to hide. The leaves would conceal her and she could see from a distance when people were headed in her direction.

She found a thick branch, large enough to support her comfortably and she leaned against the trunk of the tree. Skipping her trial was a bad idea, but it seemed the Ninjas were convinced she was the murderer. As she thought about it, and thought about Sensei's dead body still lying in Ninja Ops, she couldn't help but shutter and her body began to shake. She had been close to death herself before, and all the time spent in the hospital meant she spent some time with people whom had passed away. Her grandparents had also passed, but Sensei's body was different.

She was a killer, but not of humans. She'd watched Nighlok blow up before. She had taken their lives, and she had watched her friends, and even her baby sister take the life of a Nighlok. On the farm she had also killed a few animals. But nothing had ever prepared her for this. She had actually met Sensei; she had a conversation with him. He resembled Daisuke so much she felt she had a connection with him. Now he was gone, murdered by someone she needed to find, though she had no doubt the plan to kill him came from Serrator.

A few tears dripped down her cheeks. If she felt this badly for a man she had only just met, she couldn't imagine how badly the Ninjas felt. Dustin had muttered to her that sensei was like family. Serena couldn't bear the thought of losing a family member, especially in murder. Knowing that the last few minutes, perhaps even hours of their life they had suffered badly, with no chance of escape. She thought of her own father in that position, her mother, Ji, one of the Samurai, James, Emily, and then Terran…

She couldn't do it. If someone murdered her friends or family, she would be out for blood too. All signs pointed to her, that she was the one who killed Sensei. She couldn't blame the Ninjas for believing she could do something so terrible. But she needed proof. She needed to show them she was innocent, and the real murderer needed to suffer.

It was getting late so Serena made herself comfortable in the tree, praying she wouldn't roll over and fall in her sleep. She closed her eyes. If she was going to save herself, she was going to need all the energy she could get, especially if Dustin had her Samuraizer.

-Samurai-

The sun rose over the Shiba House as the Rangers got ready for morning training. While Serena was away, Mike and Emily slept in Serena's room to keep an eye on him. The only alarm clock better than Emily was a screaming Terran. While she took care of his business, Mike got ready and he was one of the first two Rangers outside on the mat. Kevin, as usual, was already outside waiting for the lesson to start.

Breakfast being the most important meal of the day meant Ji always made sure the Rangers had something to eat before training. This morning he set out a bowl of apples for the Rangers to munch on as they worked out. Kevin practiced with a dummy while Mike picked up an apple and took a bite. He summoned his Spin Sword as he chewed and then looked over to Kevin. It was never too early in the morning to mess with the blue Ranger.

With the apple still in his hand, Mike gave Kevin a smirk, "I bet I can beat you using only one arm."

Kevin nodded, taking up the challenge. He stood on the mat, holding his Spin Sword with both hands while Mike held his with one. Kevin attacked first, and Mike blocked all his swings. He then took a bite of his apple, smirking confidently. Before he knew it, Kevin disarmed him and held his sword under Mike's chin, but Mike wasn't done – he couldn't lose. He jammed the apple into the tip of Kevin's sword, taking the blue Ranger by surprise. As the move processed and Kevin tried to figure out what to do next, Mike kicked up his Spin Sword, catching it in his one hand. He brought the sword to Kevin's neck.

"I win, and you got served."

Kevin looked to Mike, then to the apple still jammed onto the tip of his sword, "That doesn't count."

Mike stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry, "Dude, just because you never would have thought of it, doesn't mean it doesn't count. I can't compete with your technique, so I have no choice but to outwit you."

"Wait," Kevin pulled the apple from his sword and smirked, "Was that a compliment?"

Mike scoffed and shook his head, "Yeah right. Me compliment you? No way."

Before Kevin or Mike could say anything else, the Gap Sensor blared, sending them into the house to meet up with the others and figure out what was going on.

-Samurai-

Serena was up bright and early in the morning. With the entire Academy possibly on the hunt for her, dead or alive, she needed to be on her toes and ready to fight for her life as quickly as possible.

The first thing she did when she woke up was meditate. Before accusing her of murder, Dustin had taught her a few things about her powers that was now beginning to understand. All along she had her powers inside of her. The Samuraizer was just a tool. If she focused and if she believed she could tap into her earth powers without the use of the Samuraizer and without draining herself. To do that, she needed to connect with her element both internally and externally.

The forest was a calm place. No one had come here to find her yet, giving her the chance to relax and focus. As soon as she felt herself connect with the earth, she felt the power flow through her. Just to test her abilities she traced a symbol and created a sword. It appeared before her, and she wasn't too tired to use it. She would still need to keep symbol use to a minimum, but this had been exactly what she had come to the Ninja Academy to do. If she needed, she could tap into her Symbol Power.

She got to her feet and looked around. She knew her next step was finding Dayu or any other Nighlok in on this plan. If she was going to prove to the Ninjas that she was innocent, she was going to need to show them that the Nighlok had gotten into the Academy.

"Over here!" she heard someone shout and her blood ran cold. She turned around and saw a group of Ninjas from the air, earth, and water clans. They had spotted her and were racing towards her. Serena had her sword with her, but she couldn't use it. She was trying to prove she wasn't a murderer. If she used the sword against anybody she would be showing the entire Academy she was guilty. Instead she started to run and she traced another symbol. The ground behind her started to tremble, knocking the air and water Ninjas right off their feet. The earth Ninjas, however, were a little more graceful. They used their own powers to stop the earthquake from affecting them and continued to race after Serena. Suddenly, a ninja jumped down from the trees, landing before Serena. The Samurai skid to a stop and tried to run off to the side, but the ninjas surrounded her.

"Damn ninjas," Serena muttered as one Ninja grabbed her and wrapped her arm around Serena's neck.

"You didn't think I'd miss this, did you Serena?" the ninja whispered into Serena's ear and suddenly the Samurai knew exactly what was happening. The voice in her ear was Dayu's. She had no idea how, but Dayu was human.

"You killed him!" Serena screamed. Dayu squeezed her neck, cutting off her oxygen.

"Desperation doesn't suit anyone."

Serena struggled and gasped for breath. It was clear she couldn't breathe and was slowly growing weak. One ninja stepped forward, peeling off his mask.

"Relax!" he shouted to Dayu, unaware he was speaking to a Ninja, not a younger student, "Sensei Watanabe wants her alive. You're going to…"

"This is personal!" Dayu shouted. She stepped back, dragging Serena with her, "Tell your sensei I'll deal with the murderer as I see fit."

"Let her go," the ninja growled, ready to attack, "We need her alive for the trial. If anyone deserves justice it's Sensei Watanabe. This is not your…"

Suddenly, right before their eyes, the Ninja choking Serena transformed into what could only be described as a monster. The Ninjas, who were still only just students, took as few steps back, terrified by what they found themselves facing.

"Monster!" one of the shouted and ran, the others followed, leaving a weakened Serena alone with Dayu. Dayu chuckled, returned to her human form and finally let go of Serena. The Samurai slumped to the ground, barely conscious.

"What the hell…?"

"You have nowhere to run," Dayu smirked. She pulled a rope from her belt and tried Serena's wrists behind her back, "The Ninjas think you murdered their beloved Sensei, and you're too far and too weak to run home to your pathetic friends. I have you all to myself."

"Our deal…" Serena coughed. A while back she had made a deal with Dayu. As long as the Nighlok stayed away from her, Emily and Terran, Serena would leave Dayu to pin after Dekker in peace.

"I guess I broke it," Dayu smirked, "but when I'm done with you, you won't be a threat to me, or anyone else."

"Always me," Serena grumbled as Dayu started to drag her away. She struggled as much as she could. She preferred whatever punishment the Ninjas had waiting for her over whatever Dayu had in mind. Serena never felt good after a session alone with Dayu.

Back at the Academy, before the big building, the group of Ninjas raced to the stage, where Serena's trial was supposed to be held. All four sensei of the Academy stood, waiting for one of their students to find and retrieve Serena, preferably before sundown.

"Sensei!" one of them cried, falling to his knees just like the others behind him, "We found her."

Cam looked at his student, "Then where the hell is she?"

"A monster! A monster has her!"

Dustin's eyes widened, "A monster?"

"It's just a trick. She's a traitor," Cam jumped off the stage and barked at the ninja, "Go back there and…"

"Serena mentioned a monster," Dustin grabbed Cam's arm, pulling him back. "The monster is a Nighlok. Dayu… I think she's called Dayu."

"Dustin, Serena will say anything to get herself out of this mess," Tori said, gently pulling Dustin away from Cam, "For all we know she could be working with these Nighlok. She could be one of them."

"No," Dustin shook his head. He wouldn't believe it. "You met Emily, Tor. You met the Samurai! Serena's one of them. She wouldn't do this."

"Dustin," Shane sighed, rubbing his temples, "You can't believe her just because you think her friends are good people. Not everyone has good intentions. Bad people will act like good people so they can trick you. Sensei deserves justice. If she murdered him, she needs to pay…"

"If she did," Dustin nodded and started running off towards the forest, knowing that was where Serena would hide, "Dudes, we still have no real proof she's the one who murdered Sensei."

"You saw the Samurai on the tape!" Cam screamed. "It was Serena, it had to be. Why else would she run?"

"Prove it!" Dustin shouted, disappearing into the woods. It was a long shot, believing Serena was innocent, but it was also a long shot assuming she was guilty. Sensei's murderer was still faceless, meaning it could be anyone who was good with a sword. After facing so many aliens in his days as a Ranger, Dustin could only guess the Nighlok were just as cunning and evil (and truth be told, he knew the monsters he had faced weren't all that cunning).

"Dustin!" he heard Tori call after him but he wouldn't turn back. They could help him, or they could stand and do nothing. Whether he was falling into a trap or not, he didn't care. He was going to do something to capture Sensei's true murderer.

Suddenly, a loud, piercing, and pained scream sounded throughout the Academy and Dustin's heart raced. It was Serena's scream.


	126. Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Ji watched as the Rangers walked back into the yard after the battle, surprised to see Kevin and Mike holding hands. He already knew the Nighlok had gotten away, so unless something amazing had happened between them to drive the Nighlok to leave, or even something on the way home, he saw no reason for them to be holding hands.

When they got closer, Ji saw what was causing them to hold hands. They were cuffed together by the Nighlok's sticky glue.

"Stop pulling!"

"Then walk faster!"

"I am walking fast. You slow down."

Ji stepped aside to let the boys inside the house and then he looked to the rest of the team, "What happened?"

"Don't ask," Mia groaned.

"I'll try to cut you two apart," Jayden announced. He and the others walked into the common room and saw Mike and Kevin wrestling for a way to sit down. Eventually, they made it on their knees on the floor. Jayden summoned his Spin Sword and aimed very carefully for the cuffs binding their wrists. He brought the sword down, but it bounced back, knocking Jayden off his feet and leaving Mike and Kevin very disappointed.

"We could be like this forever," Mike looked down at the cuffs and worried flashed through his eyes. He could handle being bound to any of his teammates forever except Kevin.

"We'll fix this as soon as the Nighlok comes back," Mia promised.

"But what if he doesn't?" Mike asked and tugged on his arms, pulling Kevin slightly.

"Mike!"

"What do we do if he doesn't?"

"They always come back," Jayden assured the two boys.

"And when he does, you two will be in no condition to face him," Ji added. He hated pulling two Rangers from battles, especially when they was really nothing wrong with either of them, but with both hands bound and with the way they were acting now, he could see no good coming from them in battle.

"What?" Kevin jumped to his feet, pulling on Mike's arms. "No, we won't let you guys down again! We'll learn how to fight like this!"

"We will?" Mike asked.

"This should be interesting," Antonio commented as they watched Mike and Kevin stumble off to the yard. Mike and Kevin picked up a katana, and Jayden looked to Mia. He wanted to watch training and offer pointers if he could, so Mia was second best to challenge the boys and see what they could do to work together.

"Let's start with basic Kesa-Giri," Kevin instructed Mike. As they lifted the sword, Kevin pulled a little two quickly for Mike and the green Ranger stumbled, stepping on Kevin's foot. Kevin groaned in pain then looked to Mike, "OW! My foot!"

"You pulled me that way!"

Mia looked over to Jayden, Antonio, and Emily, who was just coming outside with a recently wakened Terran.

"C'mon, Mike," Kevin said, holding the sword out straight once more, "Focus!"

Mia saw they were ready and attacked. They blocked the first shot but Mia saw an opening and hit Mike in the butt. Had this been a real fight, with a real Nighlok, Mike would have been badly hurt.

"Ow!" Mike cried and shoved Kevin the best he could, given their condition, "That was your fault! You keep pulling me around!"

Emily groaned and shook her head. Terran, on her lap, was giggling. Seeing his uncles in this position and arguing was funny to him.

"Uncle Mike and Uncle Kevin are silly, aren't they?" Antonio laughed, tickling the little boy.

Jayden shook his head and approached the mat, "I know you guys can pull this off, but first you have to get in sync."

"Tell that to this guy!" Mike said and he pulled on Kevin's arms. The blue Ranger fell, yanking Mike to the ground with him.

Terran was laughing uncontrollably at this point.

"Well," Emily announced, "If you guys have the same effect on the sticky Nighlok as you do on this one, maybe you can be useful in battle."

"He'll laugh himself to death," Antonio nodded his head.

-Samurai-

After hearing Serena's scream, Dustin's heart was pounding. The others had decided to follow him out, unable to ignore the cry no matter who it came from, and the students had been sent out again to search for Serena or the monster, or both.

"She tried to tell me…" Dustin muttered as he slowed down to have a look around, hoping he could find a clue to where Serena was.

"Relax," Cam told him, "This could still be a trick. You need to stay on your…"

Another piercing scream interrupted him. Dustin shoved Cam and followed the scream. He hated hearing it, but it gave him the clue he needed to finding her.

"It's not a trick!" Dustin shouted to the others, who he knew were following him, "She tried to tell me she was being set up!"

Dustin heard another scream and he stopped dead in his tracks. He turned around and shoved Cam, "Dude, if you don't help me, we're never going to figure out who murdered your father! I know you want revenge, but if Sensei could see you now, you know he would be disappointed! He raised you to help people, all people!"

"Dustin…" another scream was heard and Dustin ran away from Cam. The former green Samurai turned to Shane and Tori. They shrugged their shoulders.

"There is a chance he's right," Tori said, "Those students saw a Nighlok. They wouldn't lie to us. Odds are better that the Nighlok killed Sensei."

"Whatever," Cam grunted. "Let's just make sure no one else gets killed."

-Samurai-

After trying to use their symbol power, and failing miserably, Mike and Kevin knew there was nothing they could do to help their friends in battle, but Kevin was still determined to do something, to prove to the others that he wasn't useless in this position.

He and Mike grabbed the garbage from the kitchen and were carrying it outside. When they got to the common room they saw there was two way to go around the stools and the table. Mike wanted to go one way; Kevin wanted to go the other. They both pulled and pulled until the bag exploded, scattering everything on the floor.

"What's going on in here?" Ji asked and walked in to see the mess.

"We're just trying to help," Kevin explained.

"Just… go," Ji pointed to the door. Defeated, Mike and Kevin walked outside. Like this, there was really nothing they could do.

"How can we expect to be Rangers?" Mike asked as he took a seat on the bench, forcing Kevin to sit down as well. "We can't do anything else. We'll just put the others in danger."

"There has to be something," Kevin shook his head then looked to Mike; "You have to follow my lead. We're not going to get anything done if you keep fighting me."

"Your lead?" Mike frowned, "Who the hell put you in charge?"

"I'm blue," Kevin said knowingly, "I'm second-in-command. I'm automatically in charge when Jayden's not around."

"Dude, no you're not," Mike shook his head, "Mia's got you so whipped. You're at least behind her."

"I'm not whipped. You're whipped."

"No one tells me what to do."

"Except Emily. And Serena."

"Serena would kick my ass if I didn't listen to her. That's just good instincts," Mike said and then he lowered his head, "Do you think the others can beat that Nighlok without us? I mean, that Nighlok could glue them together just as easily as he did us. Then what?"

"We can't let that happen," Kevin shook his head. "We need to be ready for when the Nighlok comes back. We need to be able to help them."

"But how can we do that like this?" Mike asked and lifted his arms, reminding Kevin of the cuffs.

"We work well together," Kevin pointed out. "We've been getting along lately. We kicked ass in the shoulder fight."

"Jayden's right," Mike nodded his head, "We need to be in sync," he stood up, pulling Kevin with him, "Dude, I can't keep up with you. Your technique is too good. Do you think, maybe, you can lower yourself a couple of notches? We can beat this thing, or at least help the team if we work together on my level."

"We'll need to practice," Kevin said. He started for the katana but Mike didn't move, stopping him. "What?"

"I have a different idea."

The Gap Sensor sounded at that moment and the other Rangers raced out of the house. Jayden ordered for Mike and Kevin to stay put, quickly telling them it was too dangerous for them to go into battle with their hands tied. The boys watched their friends leave, worried about what the Nighlok would do to them, or where he would stick them. If they got caught, even with a little of the sticky glue then they would be in trouble.

"I'm counting on you, Mike," Kevin nodded to the green Ranger, "What do you have planned?"

-Samurai-

Serena's screams had stopped and to Dustin that meant one of two things. Either she was dead, in which case he had failed completely, or she had gotten away from Dayu. Obviously he was hoping for the latter.

Without her screams, he had a harder time locating her, but he could feel her energy nearby. One of the advantages to having mastered his affinity for earth was that he was so connected to his element he had no problems receiving guidance from the earth or sensing another's earth powers.

Shane was up in the trees, leaping from branch to branch. Dustin had no idea where his air friend stood; if he was with or against Serena, but as long as Shane helped to find her, Dustin didn't care. Once they found her, and once she was safe they could work on figuring out the truth.

Tori trailed at the back with Cam. The former green Ranger was understandably distressed by his father's death and was seeking revenge. Dustin felt Tori was more on Serena's side than the others, and if anyone could convince Cam to help Serena it was her.

For a moment, the forest was silent. Dustin listened very carefully for cry or a moan. Instead, he heard a twig snap and he dove towards the source only a few feet away. He jumped onto someone and pinned her to the ground.

"Who are you?" he asked, removing her mask. It wasn't a student he recognized at all. Tori, Shane, and Cam all rushed up behind him and had a look. Cam furrowed his brow.

"You are not a student here," he said. Though many of the students wore masks when they trained, making it difficult for their sensei to recognize them until after a few years of training, Cam had a thing for faces. He could recognize almost anyone's face after seeing them almost once. Every year he greeted his new students, and every year he taught himself to recognize their faces. This Ninja Dustin had captured was not a face he knew."

"Ninja Rangers," the woman suddenly transformed into Dayu, causing Dustin to jump away. Tori and Shane pulled him back then they all fell into their respective stances, ready for a fight. Dayu shook her head, "My mission is complete. Should any of you ever assist the Samurai Rangers again, I'll be back."

"You killed Sensei!" Dustin shouted. Dayu smirked.

"I guess there is no harm in telling you the truth now," she nodded. "As far as I'm concerned, Serena's already dead. No point in letting a dead girl take my credit."

"You monster!" Cam shouted as he lunged for Dayu. She stepped back as a gap opened up between two trees. She was sucked in just as Cam reached her, saving her from his fury. Cam, instead, attacking the tree, taking out all his anger and frustration. After a while he cried out and fell to his knees.

His father was his only family. His mother had passed away when he was young, too young to remember much about her. He didn't have any brothers or sisters, his Uncle Lothor was not a man he wanted to visit over the holidays, and Marah and Kapri, while they were considered family, could never take his father's place. Dustin was closer with Cam's cousins than Cam was. Cam only saw them when they came to train at the Academy.

Tori knelt down beside Cam and pulled him into a tight hug, "It'll be okay…"

"She got away!"

"She'll get what she deserves," Tori promised. "Going after her isn't going to help anyone, and it's not going to bring Sensei back."

"I need to do this, Tori," Cam jumped up to his feet. Now more than ever he was determined to find his father's killer and avenge his father's death. Tori grabbed his arm and yanked him back roughly.

"You can help the Samurai," Tori promised, "You can help them defeat her after you've said goodbye to your father."

"Right now we need to find Serena," Dustin said.

"She's already dead," Cam scoffed, "You heard Dayu…"

"If she is, we'll still need to find her," Shane put his hand on Cam's shoulder, "You and Tori head back to the Academy. Start preparing for Sensei's funeral or something. Dustin and I will continue searching for Serena."

Cam nodded his head and he started to head back with Tori. Along the way he punched a few trees and yanked on a few branches. It would be a while before he was back to being himself. It would be a while before any of them were back to normal. Sensei had been a huge part of all their lives. Shane still couldn't believe he was gone.

He turned to Dustin who was leaning against the tree. He sighed, "Dustin, we'll find her…"

"What if she is dead, dude? You heard Dayu, all along she was innocent! We didn't even listen to her! I saw the sword and… it never occurred to me how easy it could have been for someone to plant the sword somewhere she could find it… I let her down."

"You were the last to stop believing her, and the first to trust her again," Shane said, "You're better than the rest of us. And we will find her."

"If she's dead?"

"Let's not worry about that…"

"If she's dead what do we tell her family? What about her son, Shane? She's got a little boy at home waiting for her?"

"Dustin…"

"First Sensei, now Serena…"

"Snap out of it, Dustin. She's not dead until we find her. You know her best; you two share the same element. Track her down. We'll worry about her once we find her."

Dustin looked up at Shane and nodded his head. He knelt down and touched the dirt. He closed his eyes and focused all in energy on the ground below. Shane watched as the earth began to rise slightly, forming a trail. Dustin opened his eyes and jumped to his feet. He was a little wobbly so Shane grabbed him and steadied him.

"This will lead us right to her," Dustin explained. He started to walk but he nearly fell over. He leaned against a tree trunk and sat down, "Go, Shane. I'll wait here."

"Dustin…"

"Don't let someone else die, Shane."

Shane nodded his head and hurried off, following the trail Dustin made with his feet. He ran until the trail suddenly stopped. He looked around, knowing Serena would be nearby.

"Serena!" he called. He spun around a few more times before feeling a drop of water hit his neck. He wiped it off then looked at his hand, "Blood…"

He looked up and gasped. Right above him, hanging from a high branch Serena was suspended by a rope around her wrists. She was unconscious as far as Shane could tell, and bleeding from a few wounds on her body, her legs, and her arms.

"Dammit," Shane cried and used his powers of air to jump right up to the branch. He pulled her up so she was in his arms and then cut the rope. Using his powers again, her lowered her and himself back to the ground where he laid her down carefully. She wasn't bleeding too badly, but he couldn't be sure how much blood she had already lost. He gently tapped her cheek, praying she would wake up.

"C'mon, Serena," he checked her pulse. It was faint, but it was still there. He put his hand on her chest and used his powers to ease her breathing as he screamed for Dustin to come. The last thing he wanted to do was have a double funeral.

After calling Dustin's name a few times, Shane saw Serena starting to stir. He held her against the ground to keep her from moving and hurting herself any worse.

"You'll be okay," he told her as her eyes fluttered open.

"Dayu…"

"We know," Shane nodded. He saw Dustin emerging from the trees and smiled. He looked down at her, "We'll take care of you. Just hold on."


	127. Ninjas and Samurai

Kevin was never one to sit back and let someone else take the lead unless it was Jayden shouting out orders, but if he wanted to defeat this Nighlok and free himself from Mike, he was going to have to let the green Ranger take control.

Ji had rushed out of the house while the boys had been practicing. The Nighlok had drawn the Rangers into a trap, sticking them in his glue making it impossible for them to fight. Kevin had seen the look of worry on Ji's face as he sent them into battle, but he was sure to make his mentor proud.

Working with Mike, instead of trying to work against the cuffs and Mike's resistance, was proving to be much easier than Kevin thought. The simple task of walking in sync with Mike was suddenly a lot simpler now that neither of them was fighting.

"Over there!" Kevin called, pointing to a huge pile of the Nighlok's glue at the top of the stairs in the city plaza. The Nighlok stood nearby, sticking his glue to everything and everyone, occasionally turning to the big blob and laughing.

"Hey! Nighlok!" Mike called, drawing the Nighlok's attention, allowing those who could to run to safety. The Nighlok turned to them, a wicked grin on his face. He saw they were stuck together, and remembered he had put the green and blue Rangers in this exact same situation, with both hands tied.

"The people," Kevin muttered in Mike's ear. While many of the stuck civilians had their backs turned to the Rangers from their attempts to flee the Nighlok, some were watching the scene, and had no choice but to stay for the whole thing.

"Uh… I didn't think this part through…"

"Follow me," Kevin said and this time he took the lead, running away with Mike right by his side. The Nighlok, determined to finish off all the Rangers by trapping them all in his glue, took off after them. Kevin pulled Mike along to a spot where no one could see them, and together they morphed. They had practiced quite a bit at the Shiba House, and thankfully they managed to do it right. Kevin looked to Mike and nodded his head, "I'm ready when you are."

The Nighlok spit out another batch of glue as the Rangers rushed him. Mike called jump and together he and Kevin leaped in the air, right over the glue.

"Flying front kick to the chest!" Mike shouted as he and Kevin kicked the Nighlok in the chest. He stumbled back and quickly tried to fight back. Mike kept calling out orders and Kevin followed without question. His own technique, while good, was still too complicated for Mike, rendering it useless. Mike's technique, though wild and imaginative, wasn't too difficult, making it easier for Kevin to follow, and more effective against the Nighlok. After all, Mike didn't lack skill; he just had a different kind.

"Rapid jabs!" Mike cried out as he and Kevin continued the attack, just like they had practiced, "A side kick!… Now, flip me!"

With Kevin following his every command, Mike had no problems fighting with his arms bound to another person. If anything, while Kevin was still trying to figure out Mike's technique, he was also a quick learner. Where Mike felt he was a bit rusty or slow, Kevin corrected his technique, making his attack flow and keeping him fighting at a speed that would take the Nighlok down without giving him much of a chance to fight back. While attached to Kevin, Mike was being pushed to improve, and learning a different way to make his attacks stronger.

Finally, they pulled out their finisher. The two boys had tried to use Mike's forest spear for the big finisher, but they hadn't been able to master it quickly back at the Shiba House. The Hydro Bow, however, was a quick and easy to learn; all they needed to do was point and shoot to unleash its full power.

For this, however, Mike needed to rely completely on Kevin. The Hydro Bow was his weapon. Kevin knew where to aim it, and he knew how to power it up correctly. All Mike needed to do here was assist.

As the blast from the Bow hit the Nighlok, the monster exploded, disappearing in a thick cloud of smoke. No sooner was he gone did the bonds around Mike and Kevin's wrists fade away and both boys were free from each other. Behind their helmets, they smiled gratefully, happy with the freedom. Then they clapped hands, giving each other the praise and thanks.

Back at the plaza, the big pile of slime trapping the Rangers disappeared and they rolled off each other. The civilians who had also been stuck were finally freed and they all started to run away, desperate to find safety before the Nighlok came back. Antonio bounced up to his feet and stretched. The glue that had surrounded nearly his entire body had been very tight around him, and when they got stuck, Mia somehow ended up on top of him, really pinning him down and making it difficult to move.

"They did it!" he smiled and jumped around slightly. "Who knew they could do it?"

Suddenly, the Nighlok towered over the city, back for round two with his second life. The Rangers were about to rush off to help when Emily's Samuraizer suddenly went off. She picked it up, "Mentor, I can't talk, I… Shane who?"

"Emily, come on!" Jayden called her over. He turned around to see if she was coming but saw she had powered down. He called Antonio and Mia back as Emily's Samuraizer slipped from her hand and a look of shock and panic took over her face, "Em?"

"I got to go," Emily called and took off running. Jayden wanted to go after her, but the ground trembling reminded him he had a Nighlok to face.

"I'll go," Mia said as she powered down and started after Emily, scooping up her Samuraizer from the ground as she raced off, "You two go help Mike and Kevin finish off that Nighlok!"

-Samurai-

Injuries weren't uncommon at the Wind Ninja Academy. Inside the building was a hospital wing. Many ninjas were trained to treat the wounded, and they had plenty of experience with all kinds of injuries. On a daily basis they saw on average a hundred patients. Some days they had mostly minor complaints while other days they had to deal with something more severe.

But they never had anything quite like Serena.

For now, she was stable, but she wasn't in a good way at all. Cam had ordered for a doctor to stay by her side constantly to keep an eye for any changes, good or bad. He promised the best care for Serena, though he himself did as little as he could.

He understood she had done nothing wrong. It was the Nighlok who killed his father, not her. But her arrival had drawn the Nighlok to the Academy, and that was enough of a reason for Cam to continue to blame her. He tried to keep it low-key so his anger wouldn't affect her, and would simply be a coping mechanism for him until he could grieve alone and properly over his father's death, but it was hard. A part of him wanted to storm into her room, unplug her from all the machines keeping track of her vitals, and he wanted to see her die slowly.

Fortunately, he had Tori to stop him, and Shane and Dustin were nearby as well, waiting for more news on Serena.

The doors opened up, drawing the sensei's attention to the Samurai being led in by a few brave students who hadn't fled when they heard a Nighlok had come close to taking another life. Dustin immediately jumped out of his seat when he saw Mia and Emily. He had nothing but bad news for them. Emily walked right over to him and immediately started yelling, "What the hell did you do!"

"Emily!" Mia gently grabbed her and pulled her back. She wrapped her arms around her little sister, "Let him explain."

"Dayu framed Serena for murder," Shane explained to the two Samurai and then he introduced himself. He let out a heavy sigh, "Serena tried to convince us she was being set up, but we didn't believe her. We are really sorry."

Shane bowed slightly to express his sympathy, but that nearly earned him a blow to the face from Emily. Mia pulled the yellow Ranger back in again, knowing she needed to get Emily under control before she found herself in another Howie incident.

"Who was murdered?" Mia asked.

"My father," Cam announced as he stood up, "The former head Sensei of the Wind Ninja Academy. Your friend drew the Nighlok in and gave them the chance to…"

"Serena didn't do anything!" Emily screamed and nearly broke free of Mia's hold. The pink Ranger fortunately held on tight. "Let me go!"

"Emily, relax," Mia told her, "Fighting will get you nowhere!"

"I don't care!"

"What do you think Serena would tell you if she saw you like this?" Mia raised her voice and grabbed Emily a little tighter, "Smarten up or you're never getting your answers."

"Remind you of anyone?" Tori whispered to Cam. He shrugged her off and walked away. Mia gave him a look, and then remembered he told her his father had been murdered, allowing her to give him a pass for his rude behaviour.

Emily, however, wouldn't get that luxury. As the yellow Ranger tugged again, Mia held her even tighter, almost to the point of choking her.

"Settle down!" she screamed. Emily struggled a little more before giving up. Mia released her hold slightly and instead of grabbing Emily to keep her pinned, she hugged the yellow Ranger. As she soothed her little sister she looked to the Ninjas, "What happened?"

"Dayu framed Serena for murder," Shane restated and then sighed loudly, "We thought she killed our sensei and… we didn't give her a fair chance to explain herself. We set her up for a trial, but she got away from us. When we found out, we sent out students to look for her, unaware that one of them was Dayu."

"You had no idea one of your students was a monster?"

"She was disguised as a human," Shane said, "She could transform."

"No she can't," Mia argued, "Dekker can, but Dayu's…"

"I saw it," Shane then shook his head. It really didn't matter, "Dayu found Serena first. I guess knowing Serena would be banished for Sensei's murder wasn't good enough for her so she… had a little fun."

By now Emily was sobbing loudly and soaking Mia's shirt. Nothing good ever happened to Serena when she was alone with Dayu. Mia stroked her hair and looked to Shane.

"Skip the details," she said, knowing they were the last thing Emily needed to hear, "How is she?"

"Stable for now. How long that lasts, no one knows. She was pretty badly beaten when I found her. She's been conscious for most of the time since, so that's a good sign, but… there's really nothing more we can do. If you guys have a way to take her home, it might be for the best."

Mia sat Emily down on one of the chairs and then she took the spot next to Emily. There was no way to get Serena home until the boys showed up. She pulled out her Samuraizer and started to call Kevin to let him know what happened and how to get to the Wind Ninja Academy. When Shane heard her calling her friends, he sent the Ninjas out to the forest, where they would wait for the Samurai to arrive and then guide them to the hospital wing.

"I'm going to check on Cam," Tori said to the boys. Shane shook his head.

"Give him some time."

Dustin walked over to Emily, hoping he could talk to her and apologize. He knew Emily had sent Serena here, worried for her safety. Serena had told him so when she explained why she had come. He couldn't believe he had doubted and he let this happen to her. If he had stuck up for her and believed her story about the Nighlok, she never would have been alone and Dayu never would have grabbed her.

He felt terrible. Emily had sent her sister to him because she trusted him, and he let her down.

"Emily…"

She turned away from him and buried herself in Mia's arms.

The doors opened up and some Ninjas walked in. One of them approached Shane and gave him a bag.

"We've cleared out Sensei Watanabe's things from his room," he said. Shane nodded his head and sadly accepted the bag, hating just how quickly he had to clean everything up, but he couldn't bear to be surrounded by all of Sensei's stuff any longer. He would give them to Cam when the Samurai came back. For now he just stuffed the bag into a corner. Tears stung his eyes.

This was the worst thing to happen at the Wind Ninja Academy, and it would take weeks, maybe months or even years before he could look around with a smile. Since the day he had started taking classes, Sensei had always been a part of the Academy, and always lurking somewhere. Many Ninjas thought they could get away for a few hours and find a secret place to joke around, especially beginner students who had no real idea of the responsibility of their powers. Sensei always found them. Sensei was always everywhere. It would be hard walking these halls or heading down into Ninja Ops knowing he was never going to turn up again.

He turned his back to the others so they wouldn't see him cry but he felt a hand gently rest on his back. He looked over and saw Mia had come to comfort him.

"I'm sorry about your friend," he told her. Mia shook her head.

"Serena's still alive. I'm sorry about your sensei. You know, it's okay to be upset. Even the red guy can cry."

She pointed to the red trimming on his uniform and gave him a comforting smile. Shane nodded. He leaned his back against the wall and slipped down slowly. Mia sat beside him and took his hand while occasionally looking over to Emily, who despite asking to be left alone still seemed to need someone.

Dustin walked over to her to try and talk with her again, "If it's any consolation, Em, I think…"

"It's not."

"Emily," Mia said, "cut them some slack. What would you have done if you thought one of them killed one of us?"

"I wouldn't have let them almost die before I believed they didn't!"

"Emily…"

"Why don't we go see her?" Tori asked. She stood up and looked to Emily, ready to take her to see Serena so Emily could see for herself what had happened.

"Go," Mia told Emily and the yellow Ranger got up and followed the water Sensei to Serena's room.


	128. Not What Was Meant To Happen

Emily was in tears before she reached Serena room. By the time Tori got the door opened, Emily was sobbing loudly.

Serena was awake, and fortunately so. Tori had no idea how Emily would have reacted if she had seen her sister so badly injured and unconscious.

"What are you doing here?" Serena asked weakly as Emily approached the bed. The younger sister started pulling off the blankets.

"The guys are on their way. You're coming home with us."

"Emily…"

"You were supposed to come here to train, and they let Dayu beat the crap out of you," Emily started to help her sister out of bed, but Serena refused. She gently pushed her sister away.

"Emy…"

"Get up," Emily begged, "I'll help you if you need it but you're not staying here."

"Emy…"

"Get up!"

"Emily," Tori called but Serena shot her a look and shook her head. She pulled herself into a sitting position, dragging her legs up the bed. She patted the spot beside her, inviting her sister onto the bed. Emily sat down and looked up at Serena, as if she knew to expect bad news.

Serena hissed slightly as she leaned back into the pillow. Nearly everything hurt. Dayu had really done a number on her. She felt her head throbbing, like her brain was beating into her skull. Her arms were badly bruised and cut, and one of her wrists was wrapped up in a splint, fractured or badly strained from having to support all her weight. Her body hurt like hell from the beating she took, and she had already seen her chest and stomach were black and blue. She was sure her back was no different.

Her legs, however, she couldn't feel. Everything below the waist was completely… dead. She couldn't move her legs, she couldn't wiggle her toes and she couldn't feel anything. No matter how hard she willed her legs to move, nothing happened. As she explained that to Emily she could see her sister's jaw dropping. Emily's eyes, which were already filled, overflowed and the tears streamed down her cheeks. Her own body felt numb as she tried to understand what her sister was saying.

"It might just be temporary," Serena explained. "As I recover, I…"

Emily bolted out of the room, unable to hear anymore. Her sister was paralyzed, that was all she needed to know.

As Emily ran off, Tori got up and looked to Serena sadly. She opened her mouth to apologize again but Serena turned away and pointed to the door. She tried to be brave in front of Emily and tried to act like this was just a little problem that would easily be fixed, but the truth was she was terrified.

"Just go."

Tori nodded her head and walked out, leaving Serena on her own. The earth Samurai beat her fists into her bed. She had come here to learn to defend herself against the Nighlok. She wanted to learn how to harness her powers so she could help her friends and her sister, so she could take responsibility for her actions. She had given up Urumasa to Serrator, giving the Nighlok a strong advantage over the Rangers, and instead of doing the same for the Samurai, she was making them weaker. She couldn't help them if she couldn't walk. She couldn't fight if she was confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life. Even if this was temporary, she would still be trapped and weak and… vulnerable.

She felt vulnerable.

-Samurai-

Emily flew into the room with Shane, Dustin, Cam, and Mia in a fury and instantly jumped to attack Dustin, putting all the blame on him. When she had sent Serena to find him, she expected him to train her, and to keep her safe. She nearly got in a blow to his face when she was ripped away from him by two sets of arms: one belonging to Shane, and the other to Mia.

"Emily, what the hell is wrong with you?" Mia screamed. She knew this was a difficult time for everyone, but Emily had no right to attack the Ninjas.

"She's paralyzed!" Emily tried to pull away to attack Dustin again, but Shane and Mia held strong, though Mia's hold loosened slightly when she heard this. She recomposed herself in time to prevent Emily escaping. "You paralyzed her!" Emily shrieked to Dustin who slipped away from her and looked down in shame.

He had failed big time.

"At least she's still alive," Cam muttered and he rolled his eyes, "My father's dead because she…"

"She didn't do anything!" Emily redirected her anger to Cam, who seemed more willing to challenge her than Dustin did.

"Neither did we!"

"That's the problem!" Emily screamed, "You didn't do anything!"

"Emily, his father just died," Mia reminded her, "Cut him some slack…"

"No!" Emily screamed. "It's his fault! It's all their fault!"

"What could we have done?" Cam asked. "We thought we caught Serena on tape! My father's murderer fit her profile. A skilled Samurai cut him up and he bled out in minutes! Your sister was the only…"

"You could have believed her!"

The room fell silent. Cam had nothing more to say and walked out. Dustin buried his face in his arms. Shane let go of Emily and leaned against the wall. Emily ripped her other arm out of Mia's hands and took a seat. She curled up on the chair and didn't say another word, even after the boys arrived. This was too much.

"What happened?" Antonio asked, noting the very tense atmosphere.

Shane took it upon himself to explain everything in full detail. He talked about the discovery of Sensei's body and the tape that recorder the murder. He explained each of the conclusions that the Ninjas drew as they tried to figure out who could have murdered Sensei and why they believed it was Serena. He spoke of her capture, her escape, and then the search for her, where he and the others failed to make it to Serena in time to stop her assault on Dayu, who had left Serena to die hanging from a tree.

Finally, he told the Samurai everything he knew about Serena's condition now. How the doctors had told him she was stable, but still in a bad way, and how there was a chance that things could still go downhill. He mentioned how strong a fighter he thought Serena was because she spent more time awake than asleep or unconscious.

Then he stated what Emily had just found out. Serena was paralyzed.

"Sensei was very important to all of us," Shane finished off. "I know it's no excuse, but we're all still devastated. We weren't thinking clearly. A human attacked Sensei and murdered him. We can show you the tape if you want. None of our students are powerful enough to do something so horrible to Sensei; especially with a sword. He would have kicked their asses and expelled them for trying. Serena was the only possible suspect and…"

"So she tells you a Nighlok framed her, but you still chose not to believe her?" Kevin asked.

"Like I said, it's no excuse, but…"

"Look, I'm sorry about your Sensei. It's a terrible thing to happen and I'd be pretty pissed off if someone murdered our mentor, but that's bullshit."

"Kevin…"

"No, Mia," Kevin shook his head, "He's right, they have no excuse! They've fought monsters before. They've all been Rangers. They know what the bad guys can do. They let their anger get out of control and now we have to pay for it! Serena's paralyzed and we're all upset. We're in no condition to fight if a Nighlok comes back, and unless we're monitoring Serena constantly, possibly for the rest of her life, she's defenseless if Dayu comes back to finish the job, all because these assholes wanted to see someone suffer!"

"C'mon," Mike grabbed Kevin's arm and started pulling him along while gesturing for Jayden and Antonio to follow, "Let's just… go home. They have to grieve for their Sensei and we've got to take care of Serena."

"She's just down the hall," Shane said, "Third door on the right."

"Emily, why don't you wait for us outside?" Mia suggested. Emily nodded her head and got up. She felt completely numb. Dustin whispered an apology but he wasn't sure she heard it. She didn't react at all.

Mia looked to Shane and Dustin, "Well, you two might as well do something to help us now. The boys might need a hand with Serena, or Serena might need a punching bag."

Shane and Dustin nodded their heads as they started to leave the room. Before they were gone, Mia called them back. She looked them in the eyes, "Seriously, though, I am sorry about your Sensei. He was a great man."

"Did you know him?" Dustin asked, "You are Mia, right? Serena said you shared a last name."

Mia shook her head, "I didn't know him… but I've heard of him."

Shane and Dustin gave her a quick nod before leaving to see if the others needed help with Serena. When they were gone, Mia looked to the door where Cam had left and followed him. There were many doors where he could have gone, but Mia knew where he was hiding. She could hear him throwing things around.

Cautiously, she opened the door and found him destroying a bunch of, what she assumed were his father's things. He was pulling them from a bag and smashing them into the wall. When he spotted her he stopped. He walked to the desk and leaned against it.

"Come to yell at me some more?" he asked her. "You know, your friend is still alive, right? I never got to say goodbye to my father."

"We haven't been properly introduced," Mia said. She held out her hand, "Mia Watanabe."

"Cameron Watanabe," he shook her hand then scoffed, "I guess Serena thought I was related to you."

"Watanabe's a pretty common last name in Japan," Mia nodded her head, "You know, it's rare, but sometimes two people with the same last name do marry."

"What's your point? Happened to my parents. Like you said, Watanabe's a common surname."

"Makes it a bit easier on the bride. She doesn't have to worry about whether or not she'll change her name. What's also easier is if the husband agrees to take her name. Again, doesn't happen all that often, but there are cases. My family, for instance. My ancestors decided that all their descendants were to keep the name they were born with, and they would pass that name onto their child. This Samurai business if a family thing, and it's easier for the Shiba clan to find us if we keep the same last name… despite how common it is. Jayden's family does it too, actually."

"Unless you're here to apologize for blaming me for what happened to Serena…"

"My grandmother was chosen by her father to be the pink Ranger for our family. Normally it's a firstborn thing and she had an older brother, but he didn't want to wear pink. He still trained to be a Samurai, and he continued to train his children, just in case something were to happen to my family. When my grandmother got her Samuraizer, her brother received a gift from their father. A Samurai Amulet that would keep him safe. Eventually, I hear he had a daughter. He passed the Amulet onto her, and from what I heard, she passed the Amulet onto someone else. She said it was the Amulet's rightful owner."

Cam turned away, "You're lying. If you're saying what I think you're saying, we would be…"

"Second cousins."

"On my mother's side," Cam looked back to Mia, "You have no connection to my father. So anything you came here to say, you can…"

"I'm sorry, Cam. I know it won't bring your father back, but I'm sorry. I know it hurts when someone you love dies. When my grandfather passed…"

"My grandfather passed away too. Until your parents die, you'll have no idea what I'm going through."

"My parents left me for a year," Mia said. "When they left, they left me in the care of my grandparents. I was closer to grandfather than I was with my father when he passed away."

"Well, then, I'm sorry too…"

"I know you didn't mean for Serena to get hurt like this. I don't like what you did, and I don't like what happened, but I'm sure behind your anger for your father's murder, you regret what you did. So, if you need family to talk to, or even just someone outside the Academy, I'm all ears."

Mia walked to the desk and grabbed a pen and paper. She wrote down the number for her Samuraizer and then gave Cam a sympathetic look.

He sighed, "How did you know about us?"

"My grandmother talked about her brother from time to time. When the green Samurai Ranger appeared in Blue Bay Harbour with the Samurai Amulet, she and I both made the connection. Unfortunately, the secret identity thing, and the secret Academy made it hard to find you. We both just figured we would cross paths one day."

Cam looked down at his hands as he fiddled mindlessly, "It's too bad it couldn't have been under better circumstances… Maybe with my father still alive."

"What about your mother?"

"She passed away a long time ago," Cam sighed. "You would think losing a parent was easier the second time around. It's harder. I'm alone."

Mia shook your head, "My grandmother's still alive, same with my mother. If they can take my half-brother in without a second thought, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to help out blood. Do you want me to give you their address?"

"No. Finding them will give me something to do, I guess. Anything to keep my mind occupied."

Mia nodded and then hesitantly pulled Cam into a hug. He was reluctant at first but finally embraced it. He only just met her, but just when he thought his family was gone, they came back for him. He pulled away from her before he started to sob, preferring to do so in private.

"Thank you."

Mia smiled, "No problem. But if you make any more of my friends paralyzed or accuse them of a crime they didn't commit, I will come after you, blood or not."

"Sounds fair," Cam nodded. He wiped his eyes, "I hope for the best."

"Me too," Mia said as she left.

She walked out of the Academy and found the others were waiting for her around a Shiba van, likely one Jayden had conjured up to take Serena home.

"What took you so long?" Kevin asked as they started to pile in. Mia looked to the back of the van, where Serena was strapped to gurney. Mike and Emily climbed over the seats to keep her company and Mia sat as far back as she could. Kevin followed her, hoping she would answer him soon while Jayden and Antonio got into the front to drive home. Kevin nudged Mia to remind her of his question, "Mia, where did you go?"

"Cam's last name is Watanabe," she said. "I couldn't leave without talking to him about that."

Serena's head lifted when she heard that, "They said there was no connection. I think there is. Even if it's so distant it's practically non-existent."

"It's distant. Not that distant, though. We share a great grandfather."

"I knew it," Serena smirked and then leaned her head back down. As the rest of the car started chatting about Mia and Cam's relationship to take their minds off Serena, Serena turned to Emily. She was the only one not participating at all. She reached her hand out and Emily took it instantly.

"If there's anything I can do to beat this, I'll do it," Serena promised her, "Don't worry about me, squirt. Focus on the Nighlok, okay? I'll be fine."

Emily nodded but her eyes strayed down to Serena's legs, which were strapped down tight to the gurney.

"Emily," Serena called her, taking her attention away from her legs, "Say something. You're not doing this again. It's a lot to handle for both of us. I'll need your help."

"Anything," Emily nodded. "I'll do anything."


	129. James' Free Out: Stay or Go

Serena had been home for over a week already and the Samurai were all learning to adjust to her condition. So far she spent all her days in bed, recovering from the numerous injuries she had received at Dayu's hands. With Ji's care, Serena's recovery progressed quickly, though her stubborn streak seemed to be helping her out quite a bit, and she insisted Dayu had done much worse that time she found herself in a coma. The pain was a lot more unbearable then.

For the most part, she went back to her regular routine pretty quickly. She was up early in the mornings to feed Terran and then it was time to train her Symbol Power (to Emily's surprise, she actually had learned how to make symbols without the Samuraizer). She needed quite a bit of help, especially when it came to caring for Terran, but Emily was by her side constantly, getting Serena everything she needed.

But finally, it was the big day. James had called to announce the school was opening back up and, just like all the teachers, Serena was needed. She still had plenty of bruises and scars, and there was still no feeling in her legs at all, but she was determined to head out.

The only thing stopping her was the wheelchair. She glared at it. She hated it with a passion. While the chair would allow her to move around on her own, she still felt like it was going to confine her, especially at the school. The Shiba House, for the most part, was wheelchair accessible. The hallways were wide, as well as the doorframes, making it easy for the chair to fit through, and easy for the chair to turn around. There was only one floor, so Serena didn't need to worry about getting herself up and down stairs throughout the day. The only little hiccup inside the house was the uneven flooring in some rooms, where they was a single step up or down to get into the rooms, but Serena was sure she could get around that. Antonio insisted he had already figured out how and he would be willing to teach her. He had even done so with a watermelon in his lap and promised Serena could roll around no problem while holding Terran.

Outside was different. There were steps to get in and out of the house that Serena would need help with. No "Wheelie Wheelchair", as Antonio had called it, would help her with that.

But the school was worst. For starters, it was filled with students, it was two stories, there was only one elevator, and the school was not designed for students or staff with disabilities, even though there were a few students already with a disability. Serena would learn firsthand how they got around.

Then there was the bigger problem. She hadn't told James. He had spent so much time at the Shiba House while Mia and Emily suffered from amnesia that he took the rest of his vacation from work to be with his family and to spend some time on his own doing "normal things". Serena hadn't even told him she was going to the Wind Ninja Academy, and now she looked like she had been caught in a terrible car accident. She had no idea how he would react to the chair, and it crossed her mind that her baggage was piling up. First, she had been pregnant, which led to the inevitable baby. The child's father wasn't even his, but her ex-boyfriend's, who was also a Nighlok, making her son a Nighlok as well. Then, Serena was a Samurai, and though she had many other responsibilities, her life was still dedicated to defeating Master Xandred and the Nighlok, and at any moment she could be called away to help the Rangers and never come back. Then there was her crazy family, and James hadn't even met her parents yet. He had met the Samurai and Emily though, and even outside their Ranger life, they were all a bunch of weirdoes. Serena only put up with them because she was either related by blood, going to be related by marriage, or she shared a house with them.

Now she was in a wheelchair and paralyzed from the waist down. Everyone had a breaking point. There was only so much James could handle before he thought the relationship wasn't worth it. Worse come to worse, Serena could find a way to adjust to being in a wheelchair for the rest of her life, but she wasn't sure she could handle James leaving her.

"Look," Antonio was sitting in her chair, trying to make it look fun so she would get up and go to work. He spun around in circles, "You can never get bored in this thing!"

"Because you can get out," Serena muttered. The tears started welling up in her eyes. She pounded her fists into the mattress, "Call work, Emily. Tell them I'm not coming."

"It's too late to call in sick," Emily shook her head, "C'mon, Serena; you have to sit in it at some point."

"Emily…"

"You're getting up," Emily said. She looked to Antonio, who got out of the chair and started to walk over to the bed. He picked up Serena very carefully, despite her protests, and gently put her in the chair. He grabbed the handles at the back and started to push her. Serena shook her head and demanded he stop. She grabbed the wheels and started rolling herself to the door. If she was going to be in the chair, she was going to get around on her own, no matter how much work it took.

"Fine," she muttered, "I'll go."

"Serena, let him push you," Emily frowned as she picked up Serena's backpack. She had filled it with everything Serena would need, making sure the essentials were packed where they could be reached easily. "You are still recovering. You shouldn't…"

"I'll do what I want," Serena rolled herself out of her room and down the halls. She got to the front door and realized she had a problem. She couldn't open the door.

"I will have that fixed for you when you get home," Ji promised as he walked over and opened the door, "Before you know it, you'll be moving around here without a problem."

"Whatever," Serena muttered. She knew he was only trying to help, but the wheelchair had put her in a bad mood. She rolled out onto the patio and stopped in front of the stairs. Suddenly, she felt the chair being lifted off the ground and she was walked down the stairs by Ji, Antonio, and Emily. They set her down on the path, let her roll up to the van, and then helped her inside. Antonio and Emily climbed in once she was safely inside and they drove her to work.

-Samurai-

If Serena didn't get to school within the next five minutes, she was going to be late and Stevens would be right. James had heard from Serena how Stevens had started to look down at her, despite everything she had done for the school. Her chaotic schedule made her miss a lot of days, most of them unannounced; and were it not for a few friends in the school board Serena would have been fired a long time ago.

James paced back and forth in front of the cafeteria where they always met at the start of the day. Because she wasn't at school at the usual time, and it looked like she was going to be late, he had bought her a muffin from the cafeteria, knowing it was hard for her to eat a proper breakfast back at home. As the physical education teacher, he knew how important breakfast was, and he would not have his girlfriend skipping the most important meal of the day just to stop a Nighlok and save the city.

He started to worry she had been called in to help the Rangers. Though he had taken some time away with her, they had kept in contact. Last he heard she was pondering whether or not to become more active in the fight against Xandred. He figured she was already active enough, but it seemed it wasn't enough for Serena. As he started coming up with excuses to tell Stevens for when she was officially late, he heard a few gasps from behind him and then some quiet whispering. The school was full of teenagers and gossip was a very common thing in the halls, but this about of murmuring was still unusual. The students must have seen something truly shocking, so he turned around, curious to see what they were all looking at.

As soon as he did he dropped the bag that was holding Serena's muffin. There she was, rolling up to him in a wheelchair. He had no idea what to think and no idea what to do.

"The… uh…" Serena hesitated, terrified by his reaction, "the main entrance isn't wheelchair accessible. I was dropped off at the back of the school."

"It's not permanent, is it?" James stammered out and then instantly regretted it when he saw the look on her face. Before he could say anything to fix his mistake the bell sounded and everyone needed to get to class. Serena turned to roll away. James started after her, about to say something when Mitch hurried over.

"It's true?" he asked, seeing her in the chair and then he did what James should have done. He pulled Serena into a warm hug and promised he would do anything to help. Like James, Mitch had been around Serena enough to know she usually ate breakfast at school. When he saw she didn't have anything he reached into his lunch bag, "My mom packed an extra granola bar by accident. Eat something, okay? I'll find you at lunch time and we can eat together."

"It's okay, Mitch…"

"You were there for me when I needed someone," Mitch smiled, "I don't mind, really. Besides, you can tell me what happened… if you want to, I mean."

"Sure," Serena sighed. She looked over her shoulder at James, unsure of his reaction and his expression now. She turned back to Mitch, "Sounds great. Get to class, before you're late."

"Coach!" James heard one of his students call and saw a few of his boys from his first class were calling him into the gym. He lowered his head and started for the gym. As he passed by one of the lockers, he punched it, leaving a dent the student who used the locker would definitely notice, but James didn't care.

"Sucks for you, coach," the student said, giving James a pat on the back.

-Samurai-

"What would you do if someone you loved was in a wheelchair?" Mia asked as she took a seat beside Kevin in the common room. Ji, Jayden, and Antonio were going all around the house, making it as accessible as possible for Serena. By the time she got home, there would be no steps, no furniture in the way, nothing on the floors, and all the doors would open up with a push of the button. If they could get around to it, everything on shelves would be moved down so it was easier to reach. They wanted to make life as easy as possible for Serena while she adjusted.

And while they did that, Mike and Emily were looking after Terran and were really shining as surrogate parents. They were already in the swing of babysitting from when Serena had been at the Ninja Academy, and Terran always loved playtime with his aunt and uncle.

Mia and Kevin were the only two left with nothing to do. Ji and Jayden insisted they did all the handiwork, as they knew the house best and Antonio had all the sensors and wires figured out.

Kevin closed his book and looked at Mia, "Someone I love is in a wheelchair."

"I meant like, family or something," Mia said. "I know Serena's probably hurting the most, but this can't be easy on Emily, or Mike, or even Terran. I'm sure he's noticed something different. He's a smart kid."

"It's not easy," Kevin agreed, "and it wouldn't be easy if it happened to someone in my family. But I'd treat them exactly how I treat Serena now. She is family."

Mia nodded. She wrapped her arms around Kevin's and leaned her head on his shoulder, "What do you think happened at the school? Surely they noticed."

"Serena can take care of herself," Kevin assured Mia. "If those students are giving her funny looks, she'll threaten to kick their asses. And they'll believe she can, wheelchair or not."

"That's Serena," Mia chuckled.

Kevin smiled, "Besides, she'll have James there with her. He'll take care of her."

"James?" Mia furrowed her brow and then gasped, "James doesn't know!"

"He's in for a shock, then," Kevin said. He wrapped his arm around Mia, "But he'll support her."

"You sound sure," Mia looked up at Kevin, "This is a big change. This is life changing, Kev. She could be in that thing for the rest of her life. We have no idea."

"He'll stick by her," Kevin insisted, "He loves her."

"Yeah, but Kevin… what if he doesn't? How can you be so sure? And even if he doesn't leave, he could end up feeling trapped. Who breaks up with their girlfriend after hearing she's paralyzed?"

Kevin leaned down and kissed Mia, "Because, if it had happened to you, nothing would change between us. Aside from, you know, what needed to change, but you'd still be Mia. For better, for worse, in sickness and in health, till death do us part."

Tears welled up in Mia's eyes and she threw her arms around Kevin's neck.

Mike was standing in the doorway holding Terran. He looked sick.

"Dude, can you get anymore cheesy? Just tell her you love her and save the vows for the actual wedding day, where I might only vomit in my mouth," Mike shifter Terran in his arms, "C'mon, little man, you and Uncle Mike need to find a toilet or a sink, and fast," Mike sniffed the air, "Ugh, you for two reasons. Is it too early to start potty training?"

-Samurai-

James had been rehearsing what he would say to Serena all day. He had missed his chance to talk to her at lunch because she had spent the entire period with Mitch and his friends, but he was determined to get her before she left.

He knew there was only one accessible entrance and he dismissed his class early to make sure he would get there before her. He opened the door a crack and saw the Ranger van parked right at the bottom of the ramp with Mike, Emily, and Terran waiting outside for Serena which meant she hadn't left early. He closed the door and stood in front of it, waiting for her to arrive.

He saw her turn the corner and he started to sweat. He had planned this moment all day and knew by heart what he wanted to say, but as she got closer the words wouldn't come out. He stood there like a big, insensitive goof blocking the doorway.

Serena had also been thinking all day. After James' reaction in the morning she wasn't sure what she wanted from him. She knew she wanted him, but she didn't want to burden him. She didn't want him to feel like he _had_ to stick by her side. She didn't want him to feel trapped. So far, there had been no progress with her legs, and while it was still early days, the thoughts of forever being bound to a wheelchair were already in her mind. She couldn't ask him to commit to that on top of everything else: the crazy lifestyle, the weird friends, her Nighlok baby, and now the chair. It was too much to ask of him.

"You don't have to say anything," she whispered, looking down to her feet, her useless feet. She hadn't even been able to put her own shoes or pants on when she got ready for work. She had to ask Emily for help. "I get it. This isn't what you signed up for. If you want to leave…"

"No," James shook his head. Serena tried to roll by him, focused on getting out of the school and away from him. He grabbed her chair and pulled her back, "You're not speaking for me. What happened?"

"Dayu," Serena sighed, "and once she realizes I'm not dead she'll come back. She'll keep coming back until all I can do in lay in bed and wait for death, if I'm lucky. You have a free out. We'll tell the students we broke up during the break before this happened so they won't think you're a jerk."

"Serena, that's not happening," James knelt down before her. He touched her leg and she looked down. She could see he was touching her, but she couldn't feel it at all. Tears dripped down her cheeks. She was terrified. James saw this and removed his hand from her leg. He took her hand, squeezing gently. "Physical therapy…"

"Already started," Serena nodded. "Ji knows a guy. He stops by the house every day. So far he's said nothing."

"Is it permanent? Will you ever be able to walk… normally… or at all?"

Serena looked James in the eye, "No."

It wasn't a lie. It wasn't the truth, but it wasn't a lie. Right now the answer was unknown. Her cheerleaders back home kept her spirits up, assuring her that eventually she would be up on her feet, but she knew the truth. The odds really weren't on her side at this point. She was lucky enough to be back at school and out of bed this quickly. Walking again felt like she was pushing the limits.

"Serena, I'm so sorry…"

"That's not going to change anything," Serena ripped her hand out of James' and rolled her chair away from him, "Can you please move out of the way?"

"Nothing is going to change, Serena," he promised her. "I don't want to go anywhere. Permanent or not…"

"No… I can't ask that of you…"

"I didn't fall in love with you because you could walk," James pulled her back in and looked her in the eye, "In fact, you were wobbling around with that stomach of your when I met you. Please, Serena, don't push me away. I want to stay here, no matter what happens."

"James, I…"

James interrupted her with a kiss. He didn't want to hear her protests. He didn't want her trying to convince him to leave. She was wasting her breath. He hadn't reacted the way he should have when he saw her that morning, but the last thought on his mind was wiping his hands clean of her and looking for another woman who could walk.

When he pulled away Serena looked stunned. James gave her a smile and took the backpack off the back of her chair. He knew she was an independent person and would probably want to roll herself around, so he pushed the button for her to open the door, and let her roll out first. He walked behind her down the ramp, carrying her backpack.

"Told you he'd come with her," Mike smiled to Emily when he saw James arriving with Serena. When she rolled up to him he set Terran down on her lap, letting her son greet her after her first day back while Emily moved the car seat around so the chair and Serena could fit into the van.

Mike pulled James aside, "Dude, this is…"

"I'm not messing around, Mike," James promised. "I don't care about the chair or that she'll never walk again. I'm in this for the long haul. The chair doesn't scare me."

"She's going to physio," Mike sighed. "Well, the doctor's coming to her. Ji knows a guy who's really good. So far we've seen nothing, but the doctor's still confident she could walk again. He says she might even make a full recovery."

James frowned. That wasn't what Serena told him. He glanced over to her quickly and smiled. Either way, it didn't matter. Wheelchair or not, he wasn't leaving her.

He saw Emily was ready to move Serena into the car and he rushed over to help. He carefully lifted Serena out of the chair, following Emily's instructions so he didn't hurt her any further. Emily and Mike folded up the chair and put it in the car. James set Serena down in the seat and let her buckle herself in. He gave her a kiss.

"Save a spot for me at the dinner table," he told her, "I want to stop by tonight."

"Okay," Serena nodded. He gave her another kiss and a smile. He closed the door and let her leave with her family.

He pulled his car keys out of his pocket as they drove off and he raced to his car. There was no time for him to go home. He had to stop at a number of places before going to the Shiba House for dinner.


	130. No Matter What

Serena was horror stricken when she got inside the house and saw the changes that had been made. Most of them weren't very visible, but she knew they were there. The Samurai gave her the tour of the house proudly, showing her everything they had done to make the house more accessible for her.

Serena hated it. She hated everything about it. Every little thing had had been changed made her blood boil. As Antonio handed her a mug to prove to her how easy it would be for her to get herself a drink of anything, Serena tossed the mug against the wall. It shattered and as the Rangers looked to the broken pieces of the mug on the floor, Serena went to her room. She rolled her chair right up next to her bed and tried to climb in herself, but she forgot to lock the chair into place and there was nothing on the bed she could grab and pulled herself up with. The chair rolled back as she tried to move and Serena fell out. She landed on the floor and managed to roll herself onto her back. She tried to get up by herself, willing her legs to move even just a little bit, but she couldn't. Frustration really began to set in and she traced a symbol, the only symbol she had been practicing since coming home.

"Heal," she cried out, flipping the symbol onto her legs with her finger but nothing happened. She couldn't feel anything.

"Serena!" Emily raced into the room only to find her sister on the floor. She dropped next to Serena and tried to help her sit up but Serena pushed her away.

"I can do it myself."

"Serena…"

Serena shushed her sister and tried to pull herself up into the bed again, but with the lower half of her body completely useless, it was impossible. She didn't have the strength to pull herself up. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her wrist, the same wrist she had to put in and out of a splint since being bound and suspended by the wrists. She thought it had recovered enough for her to use, but as it turned out, it was still weak. The pain was enough to make her wrist just as useless to her as the lower half of her body and she fell over again. She cried out in pain and then, with the one good limb she had left, she punched the floor.

"Serena…"

"Fuck off, Emily," Serena screamed. "Screw the bed. I'll stay on the floor until I can walk again."

"Let me help you," Emily insisted and tried to dry her tears, but they were coming down so fast there was nothing she could do to stop them.

"Emily, I…"

"We've been through this before, Serena," Emily snapped. "It sucks; it sucks for all of us! I don't want to help you just as much as you don't want me to help but you're not staying on the floor. Do you want to go back in the chair, or lie in bed?"

Serena sighed loudly, "The chair."

Emily nodded and lifted her sister into the chair. Once Serena was back up she wanted to leave the room but Emily grabbed her and dragged her back. She held up the wrist splint. Serena shook her head.

"No. The chair is enough…"

"You need to heal, Serena. The more strain you put on your body, the less it'll be able to heal. You know that. Put it on."

"I hate it."

I hate it too," Emily nodded, "but I hate seeing you like this even more. If there's any chance you can get better I want to take it."

"What if I never do, Emily? What if I'm stuck like this for the rest of my life?"

"It's not a death sentence…"

"It feels like it. Ever since I got better it's just been one thing after another."

"I know."

"What if I do get out of this chair and something else happens?"

"Don't think like that, Serena."

"Now you don't want to think of the 'what ifs'?" Serena could feel her anger bubbling up again, "It's your what ifs that brought me here. If you hadn't been so worried about me getting hurt, I never would have gotten hurt!"

Serena didn't think she could make Emily anymore upset, but the look on her sister's face said otherwise. As Emily was about to bolt from the room, Serena grabbed her arm.

"Emy, I…"

"You're right," Emily whispered, "It's because of me."

Serena shook her head. She didn't really think that, but her anger had caused her to snap and, like usual, she did the wrong thing. She would never blame Emily for what happened to her.

"Emy…" Emily pulled away from Serena and tried again to leave. Serena wouldn't let her go. She wouldn't push her little sister away. Emily was her rock. She traced another symbol with her finger and it hit Emily's legs. The symbol itself wrapped around them, binding them together which made Emily fall over. She couldn't leave. Serena rolled over as Emily struggled to remove the symbol.

"Let me go," she cried. Serena removed the symbol and then reached down. She grabbed her sister again and pulled her up. When Emily was on her feet, Serena pulled her onto her lap and hugged her tight.

"I didn't mean it."

"Doesn't mean it's not true.

Serena shook her head and the pushed her sister away gently. She looked Emily in the eyes, "Can you do something for me? Something I hate myself for having to ask of you?"

"Anything," Emily nodded.

"I need you to be strong for me. I need you to remind me all the time that this isn't a death sentence. And…"

"And? And what, Serena?"

"Until we get confirmation from a thousand doctors telling me I'll never walk again, I want you to believe I can. No matter how the physio goes, or what the others try to tell you. Please, Emy?"

"Did you think I would do something else?" Emily asked.

"You don't give up, and I won't give up either," Serena pulled her sister back into her arms, "I know it's a lot to ask, but…"

"I'll do it. You didn't have to ask."

"Thanks, Monster."

Emily pulled away and smiled. She got off her sister's lap and walked to the door. Serena thought she was going to leave, but instead Emily whistled. Scruffy, hearing his mistress' call, came racing into the room, nearly tripping over his own feet as usual. Emily grabbed his collar and walked him over to Serena.

"I know he's not actually a service dog, and he might be more of a pain in the butt than help while you train him, but I looked into it and dogs are really good with this sort of thing. Scruffy can be a bit of a goof sometimes, but he's really smart and I know he wants to help, right Scuffy?"

Scruffy bounced around in excitement. Emily had to hold his collar tightly.

"He can help you with stuff. And maybe we can get him certified to be a real service dog or something so he can do with you to school."

Serena shook her head, "Emily, I can't take Scruffy away from you. You're his master…"

"He loves you just as much," Emily smiled. "Look," she let go of Scruffy and he jumped up on Serena, licking her face.

"Besides," Emily said as she pulled Scruffy off. He had the power to lick people to death if he wasn't removed quickly, "Mike got me Scruffy when we thought you were dead. I love him, but you'll take really good care of him and he'll be happy with you. And we're still both living at the Shiba House, so it's not like he won't still be around."

Serena nodded. She reached over and patted Scruffy on the top of the head. She couldn't believe her sister was doing this for her.

"Emily…" the doorbell rang, interrupting her. Scruffy, as he always did, raced off to see who it was. Emily already knew it was James, and she knew he was scared of dogs. She gave Serena a smile before going after Scruffy to keep him from scaring James off.

When she was alone in her room, Serena looked down at her legs. She couldn't believe what her sister was willing to do for her, and this wasn't the first time either. Back when she had been sick, Emily had given up everything for her. Now she was giving up her beloved dog so Serena could have a companion with her at all times for help.

"Dammit, Emily," she muttered as she grabbed her wheels and started heading for the common room, where she knew the others were probably waiting for her.

As she entered the room her eyes fell on James. She had wanted to let him go, but he convinced her he was staying. The last thing she wanted to do to him was burden him with her disability but here he was standing before her and smiling just like he always did when he saw her. Nothing about the way he looked at her changed. He approached her, with his hands behind his back, and he bent over to give her a kiss. When he pulled away, he presented the flowers to her. It was a huge bouquet, wrapped beautifully in tissue and ribbons and it looked like it had cost him a fortunate.

"Challenge accepted," Mike smirked. Serena held the flowers for a moment and then gave them to him to put into a vase. Mike grinned as he walked off with the flowers. Keeping them alive was going to be a fun challenge with him. There were so many flowers and each one would need to be looked after, but they had already put a smile on Serena's face. Extending their life so she could wake up every morning and see them would be worth all the hard work and Symbol Power.

"I didn't know he was so into flowers," James chuckled.

"Well, he is the king of the forest," Antonio said.

"And he loves trying to keep them alive. I still have the sunflowers he gave me months ago," Emily giggled.

"Well, here's something you won't have to share with him," James pulled his other hand out from behind his back and gave Serena a teddy bear. He wasn't sure she liked them, but he knew he couldn't be with her all the time and he wanted to make sure she had something with her at all times.

"We'll give you two some privacy," Mia said. A smile lit up her face as she pulled everyone else out of the room. Mike came in quickly just to set the flowers down on the table and then he was gone with the others.

Serena played with the arm of her bear and smiled sadly as she looked down at her legs. She saw James reach his hand out and touch her thigh and a tear rolled down her cheek. She still couldn't feel anything.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked her. "This can't be easy for you."

"I wanted to help them," Serena nodded her head. "Now I can't do anything."

"You can't think like that, Serena," James took her hand, "You'll have your adjustment period and that's going to be really hard, but eventually you're going to figure out how to do all the things you used to do. You'll just… have a different way of doing it."

"I don't want a different way of doing things," Serena breathed, "It's not fair."

"Sometimes, bad things happen…"

"It's not fair to them," Serena pointed to the kitchen, where she knew her friends were hiding to make dinner and to give her and James some space. "They shouldn't have to go through this. They didn't ask for this. Emily and Terran especially…"

"Emily will adjust. She's a trooper. And Terran won't know the difference. All he'll know is that you're a loving, supportive mom, and he'll love you no matter what."

"But…"

"Don't worry about Terran, Serena. Plenty of parents in wheelchairs raise strong, healthy, and very happy children. And you're not going to do it alone. I plan on being there with you every step of the way. No matter what."

"Like this?" Serena gestured to her chair, "Forever?"

"Yeah," James leaned over and kissed her. Serena pulled away.

"But what about the rest of my family?"

"I can't say anything about your parents," James shrugged, "I haven't met them yet. But I stand by what I said about Emily. She's a trooper…"

"I don't want her to be a trooper," Serena shook her head. "She's been taking care of me since she was a kid. She held my hand when I was sick, and she took my place as a Ranger. I'll never be able to pay her back for that. Now I owe her so much more."

"You never owe your family anything," Jayden said. "She loves you, we all do. We all want to help, no matter how much work it is."

"You keep saying no matter what…"

"I mean it, Serena," James looked her in the eye, "I've never loved anyone like I love you, and that wheelchair doesn't change anything about that. Maybe, if anything, it makes me love you even more. You're so strong, Serena."

Serena hugged the bear to her chest. James gave her another look before he gently picked her up out of the chair and put her on his lap. He wrapped her up tightly in his arms, "Don't let this be the thing that beats you. Don't let Dayu win. Don't let anyone win."

She leaned into his chest as it all became too much. He held her close and didn't breathe another word to her while she let it all out, knowing this was all she needed right now.

Serena was so tired after her first day out, and so exhausted from everything else in her life that it didn't take long before she cried herself to sleep. When she was out, James shifted her around slightly in his arms and he lay her down on the couch and kissed her on the forehead. After that, he reached into his pocket and he pulled out a small box.

He had been thinking of this step for a while. After spending some time with his family and realizing she was all he could talk about, his brother joked to him about marrying her. His brother, and everyone else in his family had teased him about it, but James took it seriously. He loved her like he never loved anyone else before, and no matter what he wanted to stand by her, support her, love her.

He put the box back in his pocket. It was too soon now, but he didn't want to put off asking her for long. He just needed to find the right time, and he needed something else first.

He sat beside her until the others called them for dinner. He gently woke her up and carried her to the dinner table, where she would sit in a chair just like everyone else. He left the wheelchair in the common room so it was out of sight and he hoped that would help her forget about her handicap for just a moment.

When he saw her smile, he knew it had.

After dinner, he offered to do the dishes while the others played a board game in the common room. With so many people in the house there were quite a few dishes, making it a two man job. Emily had offered to help him out. He could tell by the look in her eye that she wanted to talk to him, but as soon as the others were gone he opened up the conversation, taking control.

"I want to meet your parents," he said.

Emily gave him a funny look and then shook her head, "Serena doesn't want to tell them about this until everything's for sure. She wouldn't go…"

"I know. That's why, this weekend, I thought maybe you and I could go down to your farm."

"I thought you would want to spend time with my sister."

"If we leave early Saturday morning and spent a couple of hours with your parents, we could be back by the evening. Serena's got physical therapy anyways."

"Why do you want to meet my parents all of a sudden?"

"Things with Serena are really getting serious. It's about time, don't you think?"

"I guess, but shouldn't she be there when you meet…"

"I don't want her there… I mean… please, Emily, just trust me. You'll understand everything Saturday. Just tell me you'll come with me. I need you there."

"I'll have to talk to the team. If I'm gone and they're in trouble…"

"At least try, please, Emily. I swear, you won't regret it."

"Alright, but this better be good. Both of us leaving Serena for a full day… that's going to be hard on her."

"It'll be worth it," James promised, "You'll see."


	131. Blessings

Saturday came quickly. Emily had gotten permission to leave for the day from all her friends, and she promised to keep her Samuraizer on at all times in case they needed her for _anything_.

She was only going to be gone for the day, so she didn't bother packing much. She was using today as an excuse to give Serena a little personal time. She knew her sister had been working hard with everyone by her side, and every once in a while it was good for Serena to take some time to be on her own. Mike had promised Emily he would check up on her every couple of hours for safety reasons and to make sure her alone time wouldn't sink her into a depression.

But alone time meant alone time, so Emily offered to take Terran with her for the day. Serena had no idea she was going home and Terran would get to see his grandparents again, but she had no problem with Emily taking Terran wherever she was going.

So in Terran's diaper bag she packed all the stuff he was going to need, as well as extras for emergencies and unforeseeable delays. She also packed a few things to keep herself entertained in the car. It was a long drive and she was hoping Terran would nap the whole way there.

James came by to pick her up early. He didn't bother come inside the house. Serena wouldn't know it was him, as she had decided to stay in bed all day with only Scruffy to keep her company, but he didn't want to risk her changing her mind and seeing him leaving with Emily. So Emily met him in the yard, loaded up the car with Terran and her things and they started off for the farm.

"It's been driving me crazy," Emily said after an hour of driving. She looked over to the front seat and saw James glancing at her through the rear-view mirror, "Why do you want to meet my parents _now_?"

"It's just something I think I should do," James said. "Mike's already met your parents."

"That happened by accident… don't tell they others, though. They think he met them when they did. They have no idea I've been back to the farm since coming here."

"Something tells me there's a story there."

"Yeah, it involves a bear and an earthquake and my dad almost killing Mike with his shotgun. By the way, dad has a shotgun."

"Noted," James nodded his head as he turned on the radio for a little music. Emily looked to the sleeping Terran, and then pulled one of Mike's video games from the diaper bag. He had no idea she had taken it for the day, but there wasn't much else for her to do in the car, and she loved blowing up the different characters in his game. After so long blowing herself up, she realized she could blow other people up and now the game was a lot more interesting.

She played until something in the car began to stink. She was only a few miles away from her farm when Terran woke up and he noticed his diaper was full. He didn't like sitting in a full diaper and began to wail.

"We're almost there, Terran," Emily said as she pulled out one of his toys from the bag, "I'm sure grandma and grandpa will love to change that… wow…"

"Roll down a window, Em," James said as he rolled his down, "Oh my god! But he's so tiny."

"He gets that from Mike," Emily plugged her nose. James gave her a strange look in the mirror.

"He's not related to Mike, how could he?"

Emily shrugged, "Maybe you're right. Dekker was full of shit anyways. There's a chance he got that from him."

James rolled his eyes and then asked Emily to guide him the rest of the way to the farm. He wasn't used to being so far out into the country and the roads were really starting to confuse him. Emily guided him right up to a dirt path that led to a farm house. Judging by all the bouncing in his back seat, he could tell this was Emily's home.

As he stopped the car in what looked like a suitable place to park, Emily jumped out and called for him to take care of Terran. He chuckled as he watched her race out into the field, where in the distance he could see a man, presumably her father, was working.

When Jack heard someone racing over to him he looked up. He blinked and he had to rub his eyes before he believed what he saw. There was Emily, his youngest daughter whom he had sent away to fight the Nighlok, racing over to him. He dropped his tools and caught her in his arms.

"What are you doing here?" he asked her and he gave her a tight hug and then set her down. The big, bright smile on her face told him she wasn't here to deliver bad news, so he had to wonder why she was here.

"James wanted to meet you," Emily said and she pointed to the car. Jack saw James, whom he knew was Serena's boyfriend from the various emails she had sent.

"Is Serena here too?" Jack asked. The only thing better than one of his daughters coming home, even for a short visit, was if both of his daughters were here. Emily shook her head.

"She had… uh… there's something she had to take care of at the Shiba House. But she says hi," Emily said. She knew she would need an excuse for why she was here instead of Serena. For starters, Serena wasn't actually a Ranger, and was technically free to come and go as much as she pleased. Then, James was Serena's boyfriend, and if he was coming to meet the family, Jack expected James to bring Serena. There was really no way to judge whether or not James was good enough for his daughter without seeing how he treated her.

But all that disappeared when he saw James unloading a car seat from the back. He looked to his daughter excitedly, "You brought Terran?"

"Of course," Emily nodded. Jack hurriedly ran over to the car and took his grandson in his arms. He didn't care how foolish he looked in front of James. He knew he was a big man, and strong from working on farms his entire life. Terran, though he was getting very big, was still tiny in his arms. Emily was still tiny in his arms. But Jack always melted when he was around his little baby boy, and he turned into mush all the time. He had only gotten to see his grandson once before, and he wasn't going to waste a single moment.

"Now you need to meet my mom," Emily whispered to James while her father was distracted with Terran. James gulped. Though Jack was less intimidating than he could be while he was playing with his grandson, he was still terrifying. He was a big man and he made James feel real small and weak. He had to remind himself what he was here for, and just how much he loved Serena in order to not wet himself (though he had done so a little bit already).

He couldn't imagine meeting Serena's mother. After all, she was the deadliest one between the two parents. She was the trained Samurai and a former Ranger. But if Jack was the weaker one, James didn't know if he was going to survive.

Hell, he was still terrified of Emily.

Emily led him into the house, with Jack following mindlessly behind them, too wrapped up in bonding with his grandson to really care about the rest of the world. When Ellie saw her daughter was home, she had asked the same questions as Jack (after greeting her with a tight, loving hug, of course). Emily answered the same way she had answered her father's questions. Then, she took Terran from her father, despite his protests, and everyone gathered into the living room. Jack got a few fruits and vegetables he had just picked that morning and set them out, assuming Emily and James were hungry after the long drive.

"So… James," Ellie started and examined the man who had been dating her daughter for months. After the horrible end to Serena's last relationship, James would have to really shine if he wanted to earn her approval. She loved her grandson dearly, but she hated how he had come into this world, and what she had turned into because of him. There would be no repeat of that, and if James gave her a single reason to doubt him, he would be under the barn. Ellie looked James right in the eye, "Who the hell are you?"

"Mom…"

"No," James shook his head to tell Emily it was okay. He knew he would be grilled but he was ready for it. He had spare underwear packed and his will was written up. He looked to Serena's parents, "I'm the physical education teacher at the school Serena works at. That's how we met."

"So, you're a gym teacher? How does that work for you?"

"I love my job," James smiled. "The kids are great. Serena's worked wonders on them and they're all really starting to value their education both in school and in life. She's an amazing woman."

"Save the ass kissing," Ellie shook her head. She turned to Emily, "Terran's stinking up the room. Why don't you go change him?"

"I see him every day. Wouldn't it be an honour to…?"

"We've changed our fair share of diapers," Ellie said, "I think your father and I would survive if we missed changing one of Terran's diapers while he's here."

"Aw," Emily grumbled as she grabbed the diaper bag and took Terran out of the room, "This stinks."

James gulped. Now he was really alone. Emily was just in the other room, but her parents were blocking the only way out.

"You met Serena when she was pregnant, right?" Jack asked, "Really, it's only a few months after she broke up with her last boyfriend. You know about him, right?"

"Dekker," James nodded, "I know all about him. I know all about everything… well, I know about the Samurai stuff. I found out by accident."

"I don't care what you know," Jack said, "My daughter was vulnerable. Trust me; I've seen enough vulnerable women. They're easy to take advantage of."

"I would never do that," James answered and he hoped they could tell he was being honest. "I'll admit, the pregnancy thing did freak me out at first, but I didn't let that scare me off. I love kids; I work with them for a living. One day, I know I want to start a family. I didn't see why her being pregnant, even with another man's kid, was much of an issue. I mean, it was, but it was something I could live with."

"Tell us about you," Ellie asked. James felt like he was in a job interview, but the interviewers could kill him if he didn't get the job. After all, the farm was so big, no one would hear him scream, and if there was a single gunshot, which was all it would take to kill him, he was sure, no one would think anything of it.

"Well, uh… what do you want to know?"

"The things you don't want to tell us," Ellie said. This wasn't her first rodeo. She knew what boys were like.

"I'm not hiding anything," James shrugged, "but if you want to know about me, I was born and raised in the city. Lived there all my life, actually. I'm close with my siblings and my parents, though I don't see them all the time. We work different schedules and it's hard to meet up regularly."

"You smoke?"

James shook his head, "I can't stand the smell."

"Do you drink?"

"Yes."

"Excessively?"

"From time to time I do wake up wondering what happened the night before," James had promised himself he would be honest to Serena's parents. They deserved that much. "But I've never done anything I really regret, and those times are so rare. It's usually when I'm hanging with my buddies for a special occasion."

Jack got up and James saw him walking to a cabinet in the kitchen. He pulled out a bottle of liquor and poured himself a glass. Then he pulled out another one. He looked to James.

"Some for you?"

"I'm driving home," James shook his head, "No thank you."

"One glass won't do you any harm."

James looked Jack in the eye and was about to agree to one glass when Emily finally came back with a freshly changed Terran. James realized what Jack was doing. When James drove home, he would have Emily, Jack's baby girl, and Terran, his baby boy, in the car with him. He shook his head again.

"I'd rather not risk it. I'm already a little tired from the drive up. If you've got some water though, that would be appreciated."

Jack nodded his head and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. He tossed it over to James and walked back to his seat. James hoped he had passed that test.

"James is a good guy," Emily said to her parents, hoping she could take the heat off her sister's boyfriend. "I had my doubts at first too, but he's proven me wrong. He's made a few mistakes, but he's more than made up for them, especially lately."

"Is that true?" Ellie looked to James for confirmation.

James nodded, "I've done a few things to Serena that I've regretted, and I've paid the price for them every time. Serena can take care of herself, and Emily and everyone else back home are looking out for her as well. I wouldn't have gotten this far if my intentions weren't good, and they are. They are good, I mean."

James felt this was the time. Everyone was gathered in the room, and he had gotten through a bit of the Q&A. Emily had also vouched for him, which he had seen had worked in his favour. Her parents trusted her word, and he could see why they would. She had picked Mike right off the bat. She obviously knew what she was talking about. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the box. At that very moment, everyone knew what was going on. His visit without Serena suddenly made sense.

"I know you barely know me, but I couldn't do this without asking permission first. It's how I was raised. I know Serena's smart enough to make her own decisions, but it would mean the world to me if I had your blessings. Everyone's blessing," he looked to Emily, "You all mean a lot to Serena. She cares about you and I know you all want what's best for her."

There was a pause and James was sure time had stopped. Suddenly, Emily launched herself into his arms and she actually started to sob. She tried to hide it from her parents, knowing they would want to know why she was crying, but she couldn't explain it without telling them about the wheelchair.

She wiped her tears with her sleeve and then pulled away from James. She nodded her head, "I say yes."

James wrapped one arm around her in a hug. He was over the moon.

"James," Jack called after exchanging looks with his wife, "Do you have any idea what you're asking us?"

"Dad…"

"Emily," her mother cautioned her. "James asked for our blessings. We have the right to give it, or refuse it."

"I want honesty," James nodded his head, "good or bad, that's what I came here for."

Jack stood up and he towered over James, "Serena's our first born, the very first person I ever fell in love with. She brought this family together. She changed all of our lives. Now you're asking me to give her up because you think you love her?"

"I know I love her," James said, "I know this is real, and I'm ready to make this work. I'll do anything for her."

"You're asking us to trust you with a lot," Jack continued. "I've been away from both my daughters for quite a while now, but don't think I don't still know them better than they know themselves. If I let you into Serena's life, you'll not only be a part of her life, but you'll be a part of Emily's life, and Terran's life. Anything you do to any of those three will affect them all. The thought of you, or anyone, getting close enough to Serena where you could hurt her terrifies me, and do you know what I do when I'm terrified?"

"Daddy!" Emily cried but her father ignored her and he walked out of the room. James gulped.

Ellie glared at him, "If you're serious about this, I want you to understand that this is for life. Everyone in the world can get a divorce, but I don't believe in that bullshit. You're making a commitment, and if you're not going to stick with it, even when you're old and gray, then you better start running now."

"I'm committed," James promised, "There's nothing I'll ever want more than a life with your daughter."

Jack came back into the room with the shotgun Emily had warned James about. James' eyes shot out of his head as the big man held up the gun.

"I've fired this at two different people," Jack said, "One was a burglar who will think twice about robbing anything again, and the other was a man who thought my wife was interested in fooling around."

"Don't ask," Ellie shook her head and looked to Emily, "It was a long time ago. You were just a baby."

"You fired a gun at a person when I was just a baby?" Emily shrieked and she hugged Terran a little tighter, "Dad!"

"I never killed anyone," Jack assured her, "but they say third time's the charm. Don't think I'm not afraid to use this, nor am I afraid of the consequences. Most guys in jail aren't bigger than I am."

James was quivering in fear, but he nodded his head, "I swear, sir, I have no intention of ever hurting Serena."

Jack set the gun down and held out his hand, "Make sure you don't, and you'll have my blessing. Despite what happened with Dekker, I trust my daughter knows a good man when she sees one. If she agrees to this, then I do too."

"Same," Ellie nodded her head. It took a moment for it to sink in with James, but he had everyone's blessing and his heart skipped a beat. All that was left now was finding the perfect time to ask Serena, and praying she said yes.

Emily could see James was getting excited, but he had forgotten one thing. She held up Terran and cleared her throat.

"You forgot to ask the current man in Serena's life if he was okay with all this," she said. "He should have a say too."

James smiled and took Terran in his arms. He held him up as Terran chewed on his hand. Right now it seemed to be the most interesting thing in the whole room for the little boy.

"Terran, I love your mommy very much, and I want to marry her and be with her forever. If she says yes, then not only will I be your mommy's husband, but I'll be your daddy too. Are you okay with that?"

Terran saw James was speaking to him, but he stared at the grown made like he was babbling nonsense.

Over James' shoulder, Emily made a funny face which made Terran laugh. She then plucked him back from James and smiled as she cuddled her nephew.

"Terran says yes."

Ellie smiled and got up from her chair. She started for the kitchen, "You three have a long way back, but I can't let you leave without feeding you at least one meal. Emily, why don't you leave Terran with your father and I. We'll get something started in the kitchen while you show James around. If he's the city boy he says he is, he's in for a real treat."


	132. Serena's Fear

Serena spent her day off in bed, just like she had planned. Her only contact with the other Samurai was when they came to check up on her, and when they came to give her meals. Aside from that, she had been alone with her thoughts and with Scruffy, who hadn't once left her side. Her one hand held the bear James had given her, while her other stroked Scruffy gently. She enjoyed his company, especially with Terran and Emily gone, and James off running errands for the day.

Being alone gave her time to think bad thoughts and good thoughts. Her paralysis still terrified her, and while going to work was starting to put her back into a routine she could get used to if this was permanent, it was also torture. The students were getting used to seeing her rolling around in her chair, but there was still the stares that made her feel ashamed. Students who used to respect her authority were starting to push her buttons again. Inside she was the same person as before, but they didn't see her that way. Outside of the house, no one saw her that way. She hadn't ventured out into the city, but the school wasn't in its own part of town. It was right in the middle, and when she ate outside she saw the stares from the people on the street. It was like they knew what happened; like they were looking down at her because she couldn't walk anymore.

But she had her friends, and their unconditional loyalty, especially from James and Emily, meant the world to her. If she had any doubts about their love for her before, it had all been erased. Emily had dropped everything, and she had given up one of the most precious things she owned to Serena: her dog. Serena owed Emily a debt she could never repay, even if she did learn how to walk again and she could return Scruffy to his rightful owner, it would never be enough. The intention, the love, the sacrifice, Serena couldn't wish for a better sister.

And then there was James. With the exception of his initial reaction, which Serena couldn't blame him for, he had never looked at her like her students and the strangers looked at her. He treated her with love and kindness, and aside from what needed to be changed because of her paralysis, everything was the same between them, better, even. She felt closer to him now than ever before. Any time the students tried to push her around, he defended her. He had her back when they tested her limits. When others stared, he pulled her into his arms and hid her away. When she cried, he held her close.

He had done a lot for her as well. He had gone above and beyond for her, even before he saw her in the chair. Serena didn't deserve him, and she had told him that, but he insisted she deserved the best. He told her that that fact (he insisted it was a fact) cancelled out her beliefs. If she thought she didn't deserve him, then she thought he was too good for her. He was the best thing that could happen to her, and she deserved the best in James' eyes, so she deserved him. That was his belief at least. She didn't know what to believe.

She didn't notice herself drifting off to sleep, but she woke up to the sound of glass shattering and it woke up Terran. Emily was supposed to be gone with him, but it was dark out so Serena assumed Emily came home and had put him in his crib and let her sleep.

Serena pushed herself up into a sitting position, trying to see where the sound of glass shattering had come from. She saw her curtains blowing in the wind, but she hadn't left the window open, giving her her answer. It was too dark to see clearly in her room so she patted around the bed, searching for the dog who had so loyally stuck by her. More than once today he had helped her into her chair. A big part of spending the day alone meant she had to be a bit more independent. Her bathroom had handlebars, but she had relied on Scruffy quite a bit for nature's call, especially to get in and out of her wheelchair from the bed. If the window was broken and Terran was crying, she needed to get to him and she needed to see what happened to the window.

But the dog was gone. For some strange reason he wasn't sleeping next to her. Her chair was also out of reach. She couldn't grab it and try to get herself in it. Now, she was truly paralyzed.

She tried to scream for help, but before she could make a sound a hand covered her mouth. Serena focused her eyes in the dark. A hand was connected to an arm, which connected to a body. There was someone standing over her and she needed to see who.

"Shh," her attacker whispered for her to be quiet and in that hush, she noticed that Terran's crying had ceased. She had been panicking so much in her head, she was unaware of the silence of her room, "You'll wake the baby."

Serena struggled and tried to rip the hand away from her mouth, but with half her body completely useless she was only half as strong as before. The hand was pulled away suddenly and replaced with tape, then her arms were pulled above her head and bound tightly to her headboard. That was all the restraint she needed to be completely helpless.

Her thoughts strayed for a moment. Normally this was nothing. Normally this was just a pathetic obstacle that she could worm her way out of, or at least defend herself. Without her legs bound, she could pack quite the kick, even lying down. Hell, if her legs were only bound together, and not tied down to something, she could still hurt her attacker and buy herself a little more time.

But like this she was trapped, at the mercy of whoever had broken into her room. The hand that had covered her mouth and prevented her from calling for help touched her chest, making her tremble. The hand was slowly dragged down along her body until she couldn't feel it anymore. Serena screamed, but it was muffled by the gag.

Finally, her attacker decided this was the end. The tape was ripped off but her arms were left bound to the headboard. Her attacker, still cloaked in the dark, disappeared out the broken window, but not before placing something on Serena's chest. She breathed a few laboured breathes. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she tried to focus on what her attacker had left behind. It was too dark to see clearly, but she could make out a figure, a small figure.

"Terran!" she screamed, trying to wake him but he didn't move. She screamed his name again. With her arms still bound it was the only thing she could do to make sure he was alive. She screamed until she lost her voice, but her son never moved.

-Samurai-

The moment James and Emily returned to the Shiba House from their trip visiting her parents, everyone heard an ear piercing scream from Serena's bedroom and they darted over. James ran faster than everybody else, knowing he needed to be the very first to reach her. He practically broke her door down as he stormed in. She was lying in her bed, thrashing around and screaming like all hell had broken loose. He sat down beside her, pulled her up on his lap and held her tightly. Serena sobbed uncontrollably in his arms.

Scruffy, who had been trying to calm Serena down since the first scream, nudged his snout between James' arms, reminding Serena he hadn't left her and he wanted to help. She threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a tight hug while leaning into James for comfort. Her whole team surrounded her, promising her everything was okay and it was just a nightmare, but Serena couldn't be soothed. She knew she had dreamt it, but it was real, it was so very real. She was helpless and weak and vulnerable. If something happened, there was _nothing_ she could do to defend herself or her son and it terrified her.

She cried long into the night until eventually, her body was so exhausted she passed out. Between sobs and gasps for breath, Serena had manage to give James not a lot, but enough details of what had happened. When he saw she was asleep, he laid her down in her bed and tucked her in tightly so she was safe, but not too tightly so she couldn't get out. Scruffy laid beside her, pressed right up against her so even in her sleep she would know she wasn't alone. Emily lay down on Serena's other side with Terran on her chest. After watching her big sister break down she couldn't be moved. No one could except for James, who as soon as he knew Serena was safe and comfortable in her sleep, stormed out, pulling Mike with him. He dragged the young man to the dojo.

"What are you doing?" Mike asked.

"This sword shit will take too long to learn," James told him. Since he had gotten more involved with the Samurai, he had wanted to learn to defend himself in case he ever found himself in the middle of a battle. He didn't want to be left completely helpless, so he had asked some of the boys for some lessons. He was progressing well, but now it wasn't enough. Serena told him how she had felt helpless and vulnerable and he needed to do something. He needed to protect her, it was his job now. As long as he was around, which he always would be, he needed to be able to promise her nothing bad would ever happen to her. He couldn't do that if he couldn't protect her. "I did some martial arts growing up. You're the best at this hand to hand crap. It'll all come back to me, and then I'll get better."

"You should be in there with her…"

"Telling her what, Mike? I'll protect her? Terran can do more to protect her right now, at least from a regular human asshole. All he has to do is turn into a Nighlok. Even a baby Nighlok will send people away screaming. If they don't assume Serena's the mother, they'll have to assume mommy Nighlok's nearby. What the hell can I do?"

"You're a football coach. You're in shape. You're strong…"

"I need to do more," James growled. "Whether this is permanent or not, she's paralyzed right now and she's counting on me."

"Leave the fighting monsters and assholes to us. We'll protect her. You…"

"No!" James shouted and he punched the punching bag, "Show me something."

Mike let out a deep sigh and then he nodded his head, "Alright, but you've got to swear to me you'll only use what I teach you for emergencies. Like if your life or hers is actually in danger."

"I swear," James held up his hand to show he was sincere. Mike nodded.

"Alright, then, show me what you remember and we'll start from there."

-Samurai-

The following morning, Serena was woken up. She stirred slightly before she made out her sister's face looking down at her.

"Doctor's here," Emily said, "Do you want me to stay?"

Serena looked around the room. Sometime during the night or the very early morning the others had cleared out. It was just her, Emily, and Scruffy in the room, and the physical therapist was standing by the door. Serena nodded to Emily and then waved the doctor in.

He did his usual. He checked Serena for mobility and tried to work her muscles. A big part of trying to walk again was making sure her muscles didn't waste away. He continued with his routine, and when it was over, before he could say it, Serena knew there was no improvement from the day before. Emily squeezed her tightly while Serena listened to the doctor, who tried to tell her it was still early days, and the fact that she was moving around the house and going to work was amazing progress in itself. He remained confident something would happen soon, but Serena wasn't so sure.

"He's right," Emily whispered in her ear as she hugged her, "As long as there's a chance there's no giving up. If anyone can beat this thing, it's you. You can back from a terminal illness, remember? This is nothing."

Serena knew Emily was just trying to keep her encouraged. It was exactly what she had asked her sister to do. When Emily saw Serena didn't believe her, though, she turned her head, forcing her to look her in her eyes. Serena saw Emily was being honest. She meant what she said.

"Mia and I want to take you out shopping today," Emily then told her. Serena was about to say something but Emily shook her head, "It'll be good for you to go out. Somewhere that's not the school."

"Okay," Serena nodded. A smile lit up Emily's face. She helped her sister into her chair and then challenged Serena to a race to the kitchen for breakfast. Serena didn't know how fast she could go in the chair, but figured there was no harm in letting Emily believe she was taking part in the race. The kitchen was straight down the hall, so it wasn't going to be too complicated.

She moved her chair forward, first pretending to go as fast as possible, but when she saw Emily wasn't holding back at all she willed herself to go faster. She couldn't let her little sister beat her, even in the chair.

But Emily did make it to the kitchen first, and she helped Serena slow down safely, before she crashed into anything. She stuck her tongue out in her sister's face.

"HA! For once, I win."

"Careful, girls," Ji chuckled as they sat at the table and he served them breakfast, "If either of you knock my bonsai over, you'll be cleaning it up."

Serena and Emily giggled and were then joined by Jayden, Antonio, Mia, Kevin and Terran, who Serena snatched from Kevin the moment she saw him.

"Did Emily tell you about our shopping trip?" Mia asked Serena.

"Ugh," Kevin groaned, rolling his eyes. Serena nodded to Mia and then gave Kevin a look.

"What's wrong with you?"

"I'm coming along to carry the bags," Kevin grumbled. "You women really need to learn to carry your own bags."

"Why bring him along?" Serena asked. "Just hang the bags off the back of my chair."

"You don't mind?" Mia asked carefully. Serena shook her head.

"Hey, gotta use this piece of shit for something, right?" she asked as she tapped the armrest of her chair.

"Speaking of," Antonio said, "How was physio?"

"Nothing yet," Emily answered for Serena, "But he'll be back tomorrow to do a little more. Maybe we'll see something then."

Antonio nodded his head in agreement but shared a look of concern with the others. No one said anything about it though as Mike and James walked into the room, soaked in sweat. Serena furrowed her brow. She could assume Mike had just started training early, but she thought James had left to get some sleep after his long day and even longer night.

"You're still here?" she asked. James gave her a kiss and sat beside her at the table.

"You thought I would leave?"

"Just to get some sleep. Why are you all wet? Why do you smell?"

"This is officially the worst good morning," James chuckled lightly. He was happy to see Serena was in a better mood this morning.

"Sorry," Serena tried to give him another kiss but pulled away, "Sorry, I can't do it. You reek."

Jayden finished up his breakfast and handed his dishes over to Ji and instructed the others to do the same. He announced training would start in five minute, whether they were all ready or not. The Samurai groaned and Mike was the loudest of them all. He had just spent the entire night training James. He wrapped the towel around his neck, pretending to hang himself.

Everyone cleared out of the room until it was just James, Serena and Terran. James took Serena's hand.

"About last night…"

"Sorry," Serena lowered her head, "That must not have been the best night."

"That dream really scared you, huh."

Serena shuttered at the thought of it. Tears welled up in her eyes and she hugged Terran a little closer.

"I couldn't stop it…"

"It's not going to ever happen to you, or Terran. No one is ever going to hurt you like that."

"They could…"

"No way," James pulled her into his arms, "Not happening. I'll make sure of it."

Serena hugged him, "I have a confession to make. I lied when I told you I was sure I would never walk again. I might, but the truth is we're not sure."

"I know," James nodded, "Mike let it slip after you told me. I doubt he knew it was a secret."

"You knew?"

James cupped her face in his hands, "How many times do I have to tell you that chair doesn't scare me? You're the same woman I fell in love with. We'll get through this together and by the end of it, you'll be walking away from the chair, or you'll be in it, and I'll always be by your side."

"You have one more free…" James interrupted her with a kiss.

"I'm not leaving," he smiled. "Now, I overhead the girls talking about a shopping trip. Need any help getting ready?"

"I haven't quite mastered putting my pants on by myself yet," Serena nodded. "I want to try and do it myself, but just in case…"

"I'll be right there with you," James promised.


	133. For Serena

The girls were out of the house for their shopping trip, leaving the boys alone to do as they pleased. James, after a bit of rest, had asked the boys if they could teach him a few more things that would be helpful for him to protect Serena.

The boys had done just that. Mike continued with his lesson from the night before, and was impressed with James' progress. The martial arts lessons he took growing up really helped him out and he was at the point where he couldn't win against any of the Rangers, but he at least knew how to defend himself until he could get help or run away.

Antonio taught him how to use everyday objects as weapons. He told James that if he was in a fight that required him to protect himself or Serena, everything was fair. The goal was to stay alive long enough to get away from the fight, or long enough for help to arrive. Antonio laid out a bunch of objects, ranging from kitchen knives to a plush toy, and asked James to show him how to use them as a weapon. Some, obviously would be more effective than others.

Then, Kevin and Jayden continued training James with a sword. This went on until it was almost dinner time and everyone was ready to fall over from exhaustion, James especially.

"You know, you're pretty good," Antonio smiled brightly, giving James an encouraging fist bump. "It took me years to teach myself some of this stuff."

"Thanks," James nodded.

"So, dude, you're really serious about this, right?" Mike asked as he sat up and rested his arms on his knees. "I mean, the wheelchair thing, it doesn't freak you out?"

"The only difference between Serena before and Serena now is that she's sitting down," James said, "I mean, I'm still getting used to it and I hope she can walk again, but our relationship was more than that. I don't think she's completely convinced, yet, but she's trying less and less to push me away."

"She loves you," Jayden said, "She just feels guilty about all this."

"Which I understand," James sighed. "She's never liked having to rely on someone else. She's always telling me stories of when she was sick and how she hated having to ask for help. It's the same thing now."

"We're more than ready to help her out, though," Kevin said, "Whatever she needs, we'll get it for her."

"And we're helping her be more independent," Antonio smiled, "I mean, look at this place; it's a paralyzed person's dream home."

"Yeah," James had a look around and then he got up, telling the boys he would be back. He had already gotten permission from the only people whose permission he cared about, but he still thought it right to let the others have their say. Whether they gave him their blessings or not was a moot point, but Serena was in such a fragile state and he was sure the guys would have something to say.

So he got the box from his jacket and brought it back to the dojo. He sat back down on the floor and passed the box to Mike.

"Dude…" Mike opened the lid and was instantly in awe, "You're kidding me!"

"I was thinking about it before the wheelchair," James assured them so they would know he wasn't just doing this because of Serena's paralysis. "She's everything to me. Standing up, sitting down, I can't imagine life without her."

"Do you really think this is the right time?" Kevin asked as he took the ring from Mike and had a look. "Right now, Serena needs to think about herself. This seems kind of unfair to me."

"I'm not going to propose right this minute," James took the ring back and put it in his pocket, "I'm going to wait a bit. I need the right time."

Kevin nodded his head, "Look, I don't doubt you love her and you want this, and I'm sure she wants this too, but now's not the time. That's my opinion, at least. Serena needs to focus on herself."

"I say you're good to go," Mike smiled.

"I agree with Mike," Antonio said. "I mean, obviously you love her."

"Are you sure you're doing this for the right reasons?" Jayden asked James, who nodded his head with certainty. Jayden took a deep breath and then smiled, "Serena can make her own decisions. As long as she's okay with it, I don't see why I have any right to argue."

"Thanks, guys," James said. He looked to Kevin, "Even you."

"I'm not going to stop you, I just want you to think about why you're doing this."

"I love her."

"Like I said, I don't doubt it. It's just… it's not something I would do to Mia if this had happened to her. She needs to relax."

"I appreciate the honesty," James got up, "I'm going to shower. Serena's already told me once today that I stink."

"We should probably think about showering too," Antonio looked to Jayden, "I can smell you from here."

"Are you sure that's just not Mike?"

"Hey, we all stink right now. No one has the right to… okay, I am pretty bad," Mike smelt his armpits and pulled away, "Ugh, but to be fair, I've been training since last night."

Jayden and Antonio rolled their eyes before setting off for the showers. Mike was about to get up as well but Kevin grabbed his arm.

"You're really going to let him do this to Serena?"

"He's not hurting her," Mike sat back down and looked to Kevin, "He's trying to show her he loves her no matter what. I think it's good for her. She's been pretty scared of James leaving her."

"I don't think this is a good time, though," Kevin shook his head.

"I get your point, but imagine if you were in Serena's position. She could lose the ability to walk forever. She doesn't want to lose her boyfriend too. James is okay with it now, but what about down the road? She needs to know he's not going to change his mind."

"Exactly," Kevin nodded, "A ring isn't going to keep him here. It might make it harder to leave, but if he does change his mind, he'll change his mind whether he popped the question or not. What'll happen to Serena then?"

"I don't know."

Kevin gave Mike a pat on the shoulder, "I care about her, and I know you do too. James is a good guy, but this is something really big that he's going to have to live with. Serena's going to have to live with it too. I'd hate to see him turn into the bad guy, and I'd hate to see her get hurt, again, by one of the bad guys."

Mike looked down at his feet and then he shook his head, "You have a point, Kevin, and there is a possibility that'll happen, but you're assuming the worst. James is doing this because he loves her. He said so himself, he had been thinking about this even before she was in the chair. He's stuck by her so far, and the first little while has to be the hardest part. I can't imagine it getting much worse. I think, ring or not, he'll always be with her. We might as well give her a good night. After all this, she deserves it, right?"

"I don't know, Mike…"

"C'mon, dude, why is it so hard for you to believe I'm right about stuff like this? You have more experience than me in the dating world and in this whole love thing, but you also have more experience being a Samurai than I do."

"What's that got to do with anything?"

"When you and I were stuck together, we tried training your way and it failed. It was too hard for me to keep up, and truth be told, even if you were tied to Jayden or even Mia, you probably still would have failed. My way's not the best, I'll admit, and even if you doubted it, and I saw on your face, you had your moments, it still worked. That Nighlok is gone, everyone is unglued, even me and you."

"It's not that I don't trust you, Mike, it's that I don't think…"

"Look, he's not proposing to her right this minute," Mike shrugged, "And he listened when you talked to him, so he will probably wait a bit, but Jayden, Antonio, and I all think this is a good idea."

"Alright, alright," Kevin nodded his head, "I have my doubts, but I guess James is a good man. He has no intention of hurting her so… I'm on board."

"I knew you would come around," Mike grinned. He grabbed Kevin around the neck and gave him a noogie on the top of his head. Kevin cried out for Mike to release him but the green Ranger just laughed and continued tormenting his older brother. It wasn't often he got the chance and he had to take advantage of it.

-Samurai-

Serena had never enjoyed shopping this much. It wasn't a luxury she had back home. The closest thing to a shopping trip she got out in the country was when she went into town to run some errands for her parents. At the Shiba House, a shopping trip for her was running to the store to pick up something for Terran. Emily and Mia, on their days off, sometimes went to the mall to have some fun, but Serena hadn't even been interested.

Despite the difficulties that came with the chair and a crowded shopping mall, Serena was having a good time. She had tried on a few clothes (mostly shirts. Getting into pants was still way too difficult for her), she had eaten junk food from the food court. She had tried so many gadgets in the store, and most of them she still didn't know the name of or what purpose they served, and best of all, she got to spent time with Emily and Mia without interruption. There was no Terran, no boyfriends, and no Nighlok attack (thankfully), just a good old fashion girl day.

As happy as she was though there was something weighing heavily on her mind. It was a thought she couldn't ignore and a feeling she couldn't shake off, no matter how many times she told herself this is what family did.

She looked at the CD in her hands. She hadn't bought it, Emily had. It was Serena's favourite country artist, and the record store had a copy of her latest album: signed. Serena hadn't seen it. She had been too busy trying to weave through all the people and trying to keep up with Mia, who flipped through nearly all the CDs in the pop section. Emily had been the one to spot it and bought it as a gift for Serena just to cheer her up. Emily had ripped the price tag off before giving it to Serena, but there was no doubt this had cost a fortune. Emily, being the little sister, never had to pay for much while she was at the Shiba House, and the money her parents sent her usually piled up, leaving her with quite a bit to spend.

But the price didn't actually matter. It was the thought that counted and that was priceless. Just like everything else Emily had done.

"Emily's just getting a game for Mike," Mia announced as she walked out of the video game store and found Serena by the bench. Serena hadn't bothered wrestling her way through the geeks. The day was almost done, she had no interest in anything in the store, and she was exhausted. If either Emily or Mia offered to push her to the car, she would accept it.

"A game for Mike? How does she know what to get?"

"It's all gibberish to me," Mia shrugged her shoulders. She sat down on the bench and noticed Serena looking at the CD, "Just like that country stuff you listen to. Still, that was nice of Emily."

"Yeah. The whole day was nice," Serena gave Mia a smile, "I had fun. Thanks."

"I'll take any excuse to get out of that house," Mia chuckled as she wrapped her arms around Serena in a hug, "I'm glad it could cheer you up. After that nightmare you had last night, I just figured taking your mind off what happened would help."

"It has," Serena nodded. "Thanks for that too. I didn't hear you leaving my room and I know I was up crying late."

"What else would I be doing at four in the morning?" Mia shrugged her shoulders playfully, "I can sleep when I'm dead."

"I'm serious. This is one of the toughest things I've ever faced. It's just like all those trips to the hospital when I was sick and it's so… scary. I don't know what's going to happen to me and I hate that. I hate not being in control of my own life. I hate relying on people to take care of me. Mom and dad always used to tell me I was independent even as a baby."

Mia took Serena's hand, "We're all facing this. We've got your back even if the worst happens. Don't feel guilty about getting us involved. If we didn't want to be here, we'd have gone."

"Gone where? The Shiba House is your home."

"Serena, stop this. If it were me in that chair, you'd be by my side cheering me up. You'd do everything for me."

"Of course."

"So stop acting like you don't deserve any of us. When people are nice to you, it's for a reason. We all want to be here helping you. We want to see you recover and back to normal, even if that means adjusting to life in this chair."

"Thanks, Mia."

"Don't mention it. I'm serious," Mia smiled and pulled Serena in for another hug. Serena nodded and held Mia tight.

After a moment, she pulled away, "I still need to say thank you. To James and Emily especially. You can't stop me from doing that."

"Bounce back," Mia said. "That's all I want. I want my big sister back so we can both tease Emily again. It's a lot more fun when we team up."

"Not fair," Serena cried, mocking Emily's reaction every time the older girls came after her. She laughed and Mia laughed with her.

"You sound just like her."

"Okay," Emily finally walked out of the store with a bag in her hand, "There's nothing cute about the game, the title has the word zombie in it, the cover gives me nightmares, and the rating is 'M'. Think Mike will like it?"

"Let me see," Mia held out her hand. Emily gave her the bag and she pulled out the case the game was in. She shuttered at the cover, like she normally did when she looked at Mike's video games. She flipped it over, reading the back. She shook her head, "Emy, this sounds horrible."

"So he'll like it?" Emily grinned.

"I'll never get this gaming stuff," Mia sighed. She gave the game back to Emily, "Alright, the boys aren't expecting us home for another hour…"

"We can pick up ice-cream!" Emily cried happily. She hooked her bag onto the bag of Serena's chair and disappeared into the crowd of people.

"You had to tell her we had time?" Serena groaned and started rolling the chair. It was heavy with everything hooked to the bag, but after a few spin of the wheels the load lightened. Serena looked over her shoulder and saw Mia pushing her. "Thanks."

"How is it she's still hungry?" Mia shook her head, "I filled her up with junk food so she would be sick by the time we passed the ice-cream shop."

"You haven't figured it out by now?" Serena looked up and chuckled, "Emily was born with strange condition."

"What?"

"Most people are born with a stomach, right," Serena asked and Mia nodded, "Everything you eat goes into your stomach, passes through you intestines and, well, we've all seen what happens after that. Emily's got exactly that, only times three."

"Three?"

"She's got an ice-cream stomach. No matter how much she eats, there's always room for ice-cream. All the regular food goes down into her regular stomach, leaving plenty of space in her ice-cream stomach for, well, ice-cream."

"Makes sense," Mia nodded, "but you said three."

"Cookies."

"Ah."

"You know, since Emily could eat ice-cream, we've always had a cow on the farm called Bennenjeries."

"Bennenjeries?"

"She's the cow dad milked for ice-cream for Emily."

"Bennenjeries?"

"Think about it."

Mia shook her head, "I'm thinking this is an '_I don't want to know'_ thing."


	134. The Big News and The Question

After talking with the boys, James had also spoken to Mentor Ji about proposing to Serena. He didn't need Ji's blessing, but thought it best to ask for the older man's opinion. Ji seemed to accept the idea without much thought. He did bring up a few points Kevin had mentioned, but James had already heard them and insisted this was what he wanted and something that would make Serena happy as well. To Ji, they were both adults and this was a decision that could only be made by them. He offered his help in setting up the engagement, but James was starting to get an idea of what he wanted.

And the real help he needed was going to come from Mia. A few days since the girls' shopping trip had passed and James had finally decided to tell her. He had kept her out of the loop and made her last to know aside from Serena, of course, because he knew how much she loved weddings and everything related to them. Once he got an idea in his head of how he wanted the proposal to go, he wanted to run it by Mia.

But he wanted this to be his idea. He had heard Mia talking of weddings before and it seemed to him that she took control over some of the bigger details. James didn't want his only contribution to be popping out the ring and asking the question, so he figured he could bring a few ideas and if Mia wanted to help out she could work off those.

It was after school when he got together with Mia and told her. He had the evening off, but Serena was out for her physical therapy. She had gone straight after school to the doctor's office, picked up by everyone else so James and Mia could have the house to themselves. Everyone had promised to keep Serena out of the house long enough for James and Mia to get some real work done.

"This is going to be a night she remembers for the rest of her life," Mia reminded James, "No matter what her answer is, she's never going to forget the first time she was proposed to, especially if it happened in a wheelchair. This is your night just as much as it is hers, but you've really got to make it all about her. What do you think she would want?"

"Privacy," James said. "That's why I plan on doing it here, or at my place."

"The problem with your place is that it might frustrate her," Mia said. "She's getting better with the whole wheelchair thing, and she's really starting to bounce back, but I think her environment here is helping a lot with that. She's still, for the most part, pretty independent."

"The guys did a good job," James nodded his head and looked around. The doors that opened automatically, everything being moved to a shelf that was low enough for Serena to reach from her chair, and furniture pushed out of the way made it possible for Serena to get around without any difficulty at all. From time to time she still needed help, but she was getting used to it being a part of her life now, which made it all the more easier for her to adapt.

"I'd suggest, you do this," Mia pointed to a piece of paper with one of James' plans printed on it, "here."

"I can make that work," James nodded his head and picked up the paper with a smile. This was his favourite plan, and Mia's help had only made it better. He couldn't wait for the proposal.

"Oh, and I suggest you do it soon," Mia said. "Serena's going to be shocked either way, and at this point, you looked like you're going to blab your own secret if you try to talk to her about taking this next step. Our lives here are so quick, everything can be good one minute and then terrible the next. Right now where in a good moment so…"

Mia trailed off as James' cell phone started to buzz. He picked it up with a smile, told her it was Serena and took the call. Mia waited patiently, knowing it was probably just Serena telling him how her physio went. Since he had learned about the chair, Serena wanted to talk to him after every appointment. Despite all the times she had come out without any news, breaking her heart a little more each time, James had always managed to cheer her up again.

"How did it… Serena?" Mia saw James furrow his brow in worry, "Are you crying? What happened?"

There was a silence from James as Serena spoke on the other end. Mia watched as James' worry expression lifted into one of complete and utter joy. He started congratulating her; tears welled up in his eyes as he told her how happy he was for her and how proud of her he was. Mia took his hand, barely able to contain her excitement. She knew it was god news, but she didn't know what exactly and couldn't wait to be told.

"Alright, alright, I'll let you go. Serena, don't worry about it. I'll be at the Shiba House by the time you get home. Go out with the others and we'll have our own celebration tonight, just you and me, I promise. Have fun."

He hung up the phone. Mia was about to ask him about the call when her Samuraizer went off.

"We're not together," James reminded her as she tried to calm herself down, "Dead puppies."

Mia punched James' arm and answered the call, trying to sound as normal as possible, but inside she was dying to ask for the details of the good news. Her eyes bulged out of her head when Serena finally told her after beating around the bush like she somehow knew Mia was waiting for it.

"Serena, that's amazing!" Mia cried, bouncing up and down in excitement while Serena told her all about the moment she realized she had a little feeling back in her legs. It wasn't much, and there was still no way Serena was going anywhere without the chair anytime soon, but it had been the step everyone had been waiting for. Progress, no matter how small, was still progress, and it was very welcomed after so long. "I'm so sorry I missed it, but I guess half the fun of receiving good news is sharing it, right?"

"What is your excuse for not going?" James asked as he realized there was really no good reason why Mia would miss one of Serena's appointments if everyone else had gone.

"Not enough room in the car," Mia covered the mouthpiece and whispered to James. She gave him a wink, "Conveniently," Mia heard Serena had finished talking and went back to her conversation with her sister, "You guys go out for dinner. Honestly, it's fine. You and I can go out for lunch tomorrow and celebrate."

Mia said her goodbyes, congratulated Serena again and then hung up. She looked over to James who had picked up the paper with his plan on it. They both looked each other in the eyes.

"Tonight."

-Samurai-

After exciting news, the Samurai had to treat Serena to an exciting dinner, and they hadn't held back at all, even though Serena insisted she would be fine with a regular restaurant.

They had taken her to one of the nicest restaurants they could get into on such short notice and congratulated her all night. Serena continuously rubbed her hands up and down her thighs, constantly making sure this was real. After so long believing this would never happen, she couldn't believe the odds were coming back on her side. She still had a long road ahead of her, and she knew this could still very well be all the progress she would ever make, but right now she was having a good time, and couldn't help but look at the positive. It was her first spark of hope and she wasn't going to let it die anytime soon.

Needless to say, a big celebration demanded there was a lot of food and by the end of the dinner each Ranger had a doggie bag to take home with the leftovers from all three courses. Ji was happy there was so much less. It meant less cooking for him over the next few days.

As the Rangers walked back to the van, Serena stayed at the back, a little ways off. She wasn't in a bad mood at all, after all, right now it felt like anything less than ecstatic was impossible, but she was hoping the right person would turn around, see her lagging behind and slow down to talk to her.

And the right person did. Emily had stopped and waited for Serena to catch up, telling the others to go on.

"Are you getting tired?" Emily asked as she started pushing the chair.

"Yeah, but that's not it," Serena looked up at Emily, "Thank you."

"I didn't do anything," Emily shook her head and looked very confused, "You're the one who's been doing all the hard work."

Serena chuckled, "Sitting on my ass all day is considered hard work in your world? I want to live there."

"I'm serious, Serena. I'm really proud of you. No matter what happens after this, I'll still be proud to tell everyone you're my sister. I know you wanted to just give up and accept your fate, but you didn't and it paid off. You are getting better."

"Honestly, Emy, I'm sure this would have happened whether I had given up or not."

Emily shook her head, "Nahuh. I don't believe that. You would have done like you did that time you fell into a depression, remember? It was right after the doctor told you that you were dying and anything they did would only…"

"I know, I remember," Serena took her sister's hand.

"You gave up then and almost let yourself die. You stopped taking your medication because you thought it wouldn't help, and refused to see the doctor when he came to visit. You would have done the same thing now. You would have stopped physio and probably laid in bed all day telling people you wouldn't ever walk so there was nowhere you needed to go and no reason to get up."

"Yeah, okay," Serena nodded her head, "That does sound like me. I guess giving up physio would have been a horrible move on my part."

Serena pulled the brakes on her chair, stopping suddenly. She grabbed Emily's arm and pulled her around so she could look her little sister in the eye.

"But you didn't do nothing. You've been a huge part of this, Emy, and if it weren't for you I wouldn't be here. I've been trying to find ways to tell you thank you, but nothing seems good enough. I will never be able to tell you how much your help means to me."

"I know, Serena. You've helped me out a lot too…"

"This doesn't compare to the things I've done for you. Emily, you've given up everything for me practically since the day you were born. You gave me Scruffy and I know that's hard on you. I know you're hiding one of his collars somewhere for yourself."

"I know he's still at the house," Emily nodded, "but I do miss him."

Serena pulled her sister into her lap and hugged her tight, "If you ever need anything, anything at all, you ask me. Whether it's money, or a kidney, or help in finding a place to bury a body, all you need to do is ask and I'll say yes."

"You don't have to…"

"Yes, I do," Serena nodded her head, "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Now get off. I have some feeling back and I can tell you're getting heavy on my poor legs," Serena gently shoved her sister off her lap and started rolling her chair again. Emily walked beside her, smiling wide.

"Serena."

"Yeah."

"Thanks."

"Emy…"

"Leaning on me. That means a lot."

Serena looked up at her sister with a smile. Finally they caught up to the boys and got into the van. The drive home was filled with more excitement and celebrations, but Serena spent most of the time staring out the window. James had promised he would be waiting for her back at home, and with Terran passed out, exhausted from all the excitement, Serena knew she would have the night with James with no interruptions. Everyone had promised to give her space once they got home.

Though Emily had been a big part of her recovery and her attitude, James had played an important role as well. Serena knew she wouldn't have gotten this far without him and couldn't wait to share this moment with him. He truly was the most amazing man she had ever met. It took someone really special to stick by her through all this, and to stay so strong during the entire process. Every time she saw him, there was always a smile on his face, no matter how many times he saw her in the chair.

"Emy?" Serena looked to her sister, "You like James, right?"

"He's not my favourite person," Emily smirked, "but yeah, I like him."

"I like him too," Serena turned back to the window. Emily gave her sister a strange look but then shrugged it off and went back to her conversation with Jayden and Antonio.

-Samurai-

A lot needed to be changed for the proposal if it was happening this very night. James couldn't make Serena a special dinner like he had planned. She had already eaten and celebrated with the others, but that wouldn't stop him from doing something special.

While Mia set everything up, using her symbol power because this was so last minute, James waited by the phone, texting everybody that was with Serena to let them know this was happening. He wanted this to be a moment between just him and Serena, and no matter how many times the plans for his proposal changed, that was something that wouldn't be negotiated. This night was his night to propose with Serena and no one else was invited.

He asked Mia to set up the dojo to look just like a farm. Serena loved where she grew up and talked about it all the time. Despite growing up in the city and loving it, James understood the country appeal after visiting her house and he could see why she loved it so much. He wanted to make this night special for her and he wanted to do everything to make her feel comfortable, safe, and loved. She deserved that much.

"Everything's set up," Mia grabbed his arm and pulled him into the dojo. He was amazed by what she could do. Symbol Power had always fascinated him since he had learned with it truly was, but right now he was in complete awe. The dojo didn't even look like the dojo anymore. It was a private field, seemingly untouched by man. There were horses, a little ways off, running free and grazing in the green grass. It was night time and the moon was out, big, round, and bright, accompanied by all the stars, lighting up the sky and the field. As James stepped into the dojo, a soft, warm wind blew, wrapping itself around him gently.

"That's the only thing that's real," Mia told him, "The rest is all… a hologram. There's no way I could do all this for real without the others."

"This is amazing, Mia," James squeezed her hand and gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."

"No problem. I'm just going to go take a nap now… maybe never wake up. Good luck with this, James. I really hope she says yes. You're a good man."

"Thanks," James blushed slightly and walked around what used to be the dojo. He felt like he wasn't at the Shiba House anymore, but in his own world, and he couldn't wait to share it with Serena, certain she would love it.

He heard the door opening and remembered he was actually at the Shiba House. He hurried out of the dojo and saw Serena coming into the house herself. He figured the guys had all come up with a reason for her to head himself without them.

The first thing James did when he saw her was pull her into a passionate kiss, which she returned enthusiastically and wrapped her arms around his neck. He gently lifted her out of the chair.

"I am so proud of you," he whispered as he looked her in the eyes.

"It's just a little feeling," she told him before he got his hopes up too high. "Everything below my waist is still pretty much useless, and probably will be for a while."

"I don't care," James kissed her again, "You know, whatever happens, I'm not leaving, right?"

Serena nodded her head and then hugged him tight. She rested her head on his shoulder and smiled brightly as he walked her away from the front door and over to the dojo.

"I want to celebrate," James said as he walked her into the meadow; into their own little private world. Just like him, Serena was completely awe-struck when she looked around and saw where she was. James chuckled as he gently set her down in the grass and he sat behind her. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, pulling her back into his chest, "I had a little help from Mia."

"No shit. James…"

"This isn't exactly what I pictured happening," James told her as he held her tight, "but you mean everything to me, Serena. I wanted to make this really, really special. Can I say something?"

Serena nodded her head, unsure of what was happening. She knew today was a big day, the others had all made that very clear, but she was starting to wonder what was behind this whole celebration. She knew James would want to do something, but this seemed like quite a lot for such little feeling. She wasn't sure he knew just how small a step this was. It was progress and it was a big deal all things considered, but… she didn't know.

"Things have happened recently," James started whispering in her ear and he cuddled her close. "You know that and I know that. There's been so much going on, especially in your life and… I want to be a part of it."

"James, you are…"

"I know, I know, but, well, Serena," James reached into his pocket and he pulled out the box. This was the perfect moment. It was just the two of them, under the stars, alone in their own little paradise. He had everything he ever wanted and he couldn't ask for a better night. Serena was the most amazing person he had ever met. He didn't know where he would be without her and he had no idea what he would do if he ever lost her.

He opened the box and showed her the ring. Serena's hand flew to her mouth and he heard her gasp. He couldn't see her face, but he knew she had tears. He could feel them dripping onto his arm already.

"You're my everything," he told her, "Will you marry me?"


	135. He's Unbelievable

"Serena, you're my everything. Will you marry me?"

Serena stared down at the most beautiful ring she had ever seen. She could barely hear James' words over the thump-thump-thumping of her heart. She had never been a huge romantic. She couldn't remember ever thinking about her wedding, or planning what she wanted for a wedding, or even pretending to be a bride as a child. Supposedly it was every little girl's fantasy, but Serena had much bigger things to think about.

But she had thought about it, especially after meeting James. This was undoubtedly a huge moment in her life, one she would remember forever. It was the day the man of her dreams, the love of her life, the man she couldn't imagine being without proposed to her. Her mind screamed yes, her heart said yes, every part of her body said yes.

"No."

The tears really started to come down now. If she could, she would have jumped up and ran away, but she was trapped here, bound by her own useless legs. She wanted to say yes, more than anything, but she couldn't, she wouldn't do that to James. She didn't want to disappoint him.

"No?" James asked and Serena could feel the humiliation, the shame, and sadly enough the disappointment, radiating from his body. She felt like dirt; like scum. She had hurt him badly.

"No," Serena confirmed, nodding her head up and down, "I'm sorry, James. Just… no."

James shifted around so he was in front of her. He took her hands in his and looked her right in the eyes. Serena felt miserable but she could tell he felt worst. She hated it, and she hated herself.

"W-Why not? S-Serena, I d-d-d-don't… I don't care about the chair or… or any of this. You…. I thought you kn-knew that."

"You say that now, but…"

"I'm not leaving!"

"And I don't want to force you to stay! You deserve so much more…"

"No, I don't!" James cupped her face gently in his hands, "I don't deserve you. I don't know how I got so lucky but I did and…"

"No," Serena shook her head, "No, no, no!"

"Don't do this," James pulled her into his arms, hugging her tight; "I know you want this, Serena. I'll give you time if you need it. You can talk with the others…"

"This isn't their decision, it's mine. I said no, James. Get off!" Serena pushed against his chest until he let her go and sat in the grass. Now, more than ever she wanted to get up and run. She had some feeling in her legs and wanted to get away so bad she tried to get up, but as soon as she went to put some weight on the lower half of her body she fell over. She lay on her stomach and buried her face in her arms.

"Serena," James put a hand on her leg, which she could feel very faintly, "If it means anything, I've wanted this since before…"

"Go away!"

James sighed. She crawled over to her and kissed her cheek, "I will always love you. You're the one, I know it. Please, Serena…"

"Get out!" Serena cried loudly and pushed him away before burying her face again and sobbing into her arms. James got up and dragged his feet as he walked out of the meadow/dojo and into the hallway. He turned to the front doors and slowly walked out, dragging his feet as he did.

The others were outside waiting for him with happy looks on their faces, but when he glanced at them with his heartbroken expression their smiles fell.

"She said no?" Emily asked, "But… but…"

"I don't know," James shook his head. Emily pulled him into a comforting hug, which he was thankful for.

"I knew it was bad timing," Kevin sighed and he put his hand on James' shoulder, "Still, I was really hoping I was wrong. Are you okay?"

"I just… I want to go home," James whispered. He pulled away from Emily and started making his way through the crowd of Samurai and over to his car. "I'll see you guys… I don't know when."

"Wait," Emily cried and then she darted into the house. She wasn't going to let Serena ruin this.

When she found Serena in what used to be a dojo (but had now been turned into what Emily knew was Serena's dream getaway), she saw Serena was on the floor. She grabbed her older sister by the arms and spun her onto her back.

"Please tell me you hit your head," Emily growled.

"No, I…"

"Then what's wrong with you? He's perfect, Serena, and he loves you. He's put up with all your crap and he still wants to be with you!"

"Look at me, Em! What if this is it? What if I never get better? He's probably thinking that just because I have some feeling in my legs that I'll get better and…"

"He wants to be with you regardless!" Emily shouted. "I know I hate his guts, but that's probably for the same reason you hate Mike! James is the best, and if you throw him away because you're scared… I'm not letting you do that to yourself."

"This is my life, Emily!"

"I know that! But I won't watch you push away everything because you think you're not worth it! Dammit, Serena, to some people you mean the world. James is one of them! If he was going to leave, wouldn't he have done so by now?"

"Em…"

"Saturday he and I went to the farm. He met mom and dad and he asked all of us for our blessings to marry you. Dad pointed a gun at his head and James still wanted to go through with this! That same night he rocked you to sleep after your nightmare! When you were asleep, he trained with Mike, and he's been training every day since to protect you because the thought of anything happening to you to make you upset kills him! He's perfect, Serena!"

"Fine, but…"

Emily screamed and stood back up, "Serena, you're pathetic! If you're going to keep acting like this then maybe you are right, James shouldn't marry you. He fell in love with my big sister, and I swear she's the person I sent inside twenty minutes ago, but now she's nowhere to be found."

"Emily…"

"Pull yourself together and figure out who you are and what the hell you want because this person I'm looking at now… I'm not letting her break James' heart. If he's still outside, and I know he is, I'll keep him around for five more minutes. If _my sister_ comes back, and if she really does want to marry James, tell her to hurry up."

With that, Emily stormed out of the room, leaving Serena with a lot to think about but very little time to think about it.

So Serena lay there on the floor, trying to decide what she wanted. Her mind screamed yes, her heart screamed yes, and every fibre of her being screamed yes, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

_-Samurai-_

_"You'll buy me dinner if I do my job?"_

_"You'll have earned it."_

_"And if I refuse your invitation?"_

_"Why would you do that?"_

_"Other plans, maybe?"_

_"What other plans will you have on a Friday night?"_

_"Are you saying I can't have plans?"_

_James shook his head, "No, I'm just asking," he shovelled the last little bit his food into his mouth and got up, "So, if you're still here on Friday, I'll take you out. Wherever you want to go. Deal?"_

_"Deal."_

_"Great," James smiled, "It's a date."_

_-Samurai-_

_"I got involved with a guy I thought I could change," she said. "He was a total ass around everyone except me and whenever he was with me he was a different person. We fell in love and it was too late when I realised I couldn't trust him. So I left. I found out I was pregnant after the break-up."_

_"Does he know?"_

_"He knows," Serena nodded. "You have one more question left."_

_James thought for a moment then reached for his brownie. He pushed it forward and smiled at her, "Did you know not all guys are dumbasses?"_

_Serena smirked, "I'm starting to figure it out."_

_-Samurai-_

_"You're going to step out into a high school full of, dare I say it, dicks, looking like that?"_

_Serena playfully placed her hands on her hips, "And what's wrong with the way I look?"_

_James blushed and shook his head, "Nothing. You look beautiful."_

_It was Serena's turn to blush, "Beautiful?"_

_"G-good," James quickly corrected himself, "I meant good. Fine, at worse. You look fine. You can totally pull off the maple syrup and sweatshirt look."_

_-Samurai-_

_"You've been through a lot," he said, "I get it. The last thing you needed was me screaming at you that you were the bad guy. I'm sorry. I wish I could say something that would erase it all, but I can't. Please, Serena, can we just… try again? You dropped a huge bomb on me and…"_

_"James…"_

_James shook his head. He took her hands in his and looked lovingly into her eyes._

_"You're amazing, Serena. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. I was scared, but that's no excuse for what I said. Terran and the Nighlok thing freaks me out but… I can get used to it, or, I can try at least. Please, let me try."_

_Serena lowered her head, "James…"_

_"I love you," James whispered. Serena's head snapped back up. Her eyes were wide as she stared up at him. He noticed she seemed somewhat startled, terrified even, but there was something else. Something that kept him hanging on. He squeezed her hands, "I've never said that before, not to any woman. But you're just… you're so amazing and strong and… please, Serena. One chance."_

_-Samurai-_

_"Serena, unless you plan on staying single forever, you're going to have to meet a guy who is okay with all this. Whether it's sprung at him all at once, or piece by piece, it's not going to bother him. Why is it so hard to believe you've already found a guy like that?"_

_"Because you're unbelievable." _

_-Samurai-_

Serena's eyes still stung with tears as she rolled herself back onto her stomach. Her head screamed yes, her heart screamed yes, every part of her body screamed yes and now she was finally ready to say it. Despite everything she had put him through James hadn't left her. He had many chances, but Serena couldn't shake him off. No matter how badly she screwed up, no matter what she had done, he had been there. He had been her shoulder to cry her, her voice of reason, her everything.

Her chair was still by the door so she had to crawl. Using every muscle she had in her upper body, she dragged herself along the floor until she reached the door. She slammed her fist into the button so it would open. Both sets of doors slowly began to open at once, but they weren't fast enough. Serena had wasted enough time just trying to get to the door and it seemed Emily had been serious when she said she would only keep James around for five minutes. He was putting his things in the back seat of his car, ready to leave. Serena tried to call his name but she was too tired and too choked up. She was terrified she was going to miss her chance. She continued to crawl when there was enough space in the doors and she hoped James would see her before he pulled away.

James opened the front door to his car. The Samurai insisted on driving him home, but he turned them down. He was upset, but he really needed to be alone. He sat down in the driver's seat, tucked his legs into the car and just as he was about to close his door he saw the Shiba doors opening. From where he had parked his car, he could see Serena _crawling _out. She had broken his heart, but he couldn't let this continue. He jumped out of his seat, shoved his way past the Samurai and gently picked her up.

"What the hell, Serena?" he asked in a worried tone. Serena threw her arms around his neck as he held her. She sobbed on his shoulder, apologizing over and over again and begging for him not to leave. James shook his head, "I'm not _leaving_, leaving. I just…"

"Yes."

"What?"

"You're unbelievable and I got scared… I… yes."

"To… to marrying me?" Serena was telling him he was unbelievable, but right now this moment was unbelievable.

"Yes."

"I thought… but you said…"

"Yes!"

James felt his knees go weak and he lowered himself to the floor. He hugged her tight, afraid she would change her mind if he let go. She was already sobbing, but the tears flowing down his face made him feel like a big baby. He had never been this happy before. Shifting her weight in his arms so he could hold her up with one arm, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring again. His hand trembled as he fumbled with the ring, slipping it on her finger after missing the first couple of times. As soon as it was on, Serena gently held his face and pulled him in for a kiss.

It was a night she would never forget.


	136. The Enemies

When James woke up, he could feel something warm resting beside him in the bed. Serena was wrapped tightly in his arms, sleeping as peacefully as ever. At this very moment she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She was the future Mrs. Smith and he couldn't be any more excited. He gave her a little squeeze and kissed the top of her head. He then got out of bed slowly so he wouldn't wake her and collected his clothes from the floor. Fortunately the Rangers had given him and Serena a lot of privacy after she had finally said yes to his proposal (after giving him the fright of his life when she first said no). He slipped his boxers back on and then pulled out a training uniform he had been given by the Rangers. Now, more than ever, he was determined to learn how to fight. He wanted to be able to keep his future bride feeling safe and protected. Even if she recovered and learned to fight again, he couldn't sit on the sidelines while his future bride put herself in danger.

He left Serena with Scruffy, knowing that with the dog's help she would be able to get into her chair and she would come and find him when he woke up. He wanted to stay with her all morning but he thought it was more important he join the others for training. Cuddling wouldn't keep Serena safe.

As he stepped outside, where the others had already started with morning training, he couldn't help but smile. This was the craziest life he could imagine, and these were some of the weirdest people, but he had grown to love them all and now he was going to be one of them.

"Here you are," Ji said as James arrived. The older man put Terran in James' arms, "Congratulations."

James hugged Terran and smiled brightly at Ji, "Thank you."

"Are you here to train?" Ji gestured to James' uniform. He nodded his head.

"You know it."

"Then you will spare with me," Ji said and he took Terran back from James and he set the young boy in his play pen. Ji guided James out onto the mat and the others stopped what they were doing to watch. They had never seen Ji join in training before.

Both were impressive as they started off. Ji was obviously holding back, but James had nowhere near the number of experience Ji had, but the fight was still something to see. Ji eventually disarmed James and held his sword to James' neck, but he had an impressed smile on his face.

"You're good."

"Thanks," James was about to ask for a round two when his watch beeped and he remembered he had to go. The students had a P.A Day, giving Serena a day off, but the teachers and the rest of the staff were still needed at the school. James was hoping he could get out a little early though so he could come back here. He and Serena had quite a bit to talk about now that they were engaged.

James raced inside the house, quickly got dressed, gave Serena another kiss when he saw she was up and trying to get out of bed, and then he raced off for work. With Scruffy's help, and a big smile on her face as she caught the ring on her finger in the corner of her eye, she got into her chair and rolled outside, finding the others training. No sooner was she out of the door was she attacked by her little sister. Emily threw her arms around Serena in such a tight hug; Serena was starting to lose feeling in the upper half of her body as well.

"Let… go…" she gasped out and Emily did as she was asked. She looked down at her older sister.

"You're not an idiot."

"Thanks to you," Serena smiled and gave her sister a proper hug, "I owe you another one."

"Another two," Emily smiled and reached into her pocket. She pulled out a paper she had printed off the internet, "While you and James were… busy last night, I had to keep myself busy."

"Sorry, squirt," Serena chuckled as it dawned on her that her night with James was likely an awkward night for Emily. Their bedrooms weren't side by side, but they also weren't too far apart either.

Emily handed the papers over to Serena, "You don't like relying on other people and even though we're all willing to help out whenever you need it, we're not always going to be around. So I found something that'll help you out, and put my mind at ease."

Serena looked at the papers and smiled brightly, "Disabled man fights off robber."

"It happened last week," Emily said, "Some guy thought he could rob a guy in a wheelchair, but he didn't realize the guy in the chair knew martial arts. He fought him off, and you can too. You just have to figure out how."

Serena glanced at the papers again. It was definitely encouraging to know there was a way to get back onto the battlefield. Not like before, obviously, but if Serena found herself face to face with Dayu once again, or any other Nighlok, there would be a way for her to fight.

"Well, thanks to you I can do symbols without the Samuraizer," Serena smiled as she started counting off the ways she could already fight. "If I drop it or something, I'm still not defenceless."

"And surely you can figure out a way to use a sword. It might be a little harder to move around and stuff with the chair, but it's something," Emily added.

Serena nodded her head, "I'll figure something out, Monster, but this is encouraging. Thanks."

Emily smiled. She gave her sister another hug and then started to walk inside, hungry for breakfast. Serena looked at the papers again and then pulled her Samuraizer from her pocket. She pointed at Mike.

"You."

"Me?" Mike pointed to himself, "What? Why me?"

"I like beating you up. It's payback for you screwing around with my sister. Now help me up onto the mat, there's a list of tips for me on here I want to try out."

"Can't you pick on someone else?" Mike asked as he walked to Serena and rolled her up onto the mats, "Kevin's much better with a sword."

"I fight you."

"Jayden's really the best there is."

"I want to kick _your_ ass."

"Antonio's got a weird style. Gold Ranger vs. wheelchair Samurai! That'll be fun to…"

"You."

"Mia's…"

"You."

"Emily?"

"You."

Mike groaned and picked up his sword, "Fine…"

-Samurai-

James could barely pay attention to the lectures, the lessons, and the meetings as the day progressed. All the students were out of class for the day and the teachers were in school attending workshops and seminars. James had never been fond of P.A days. He hated sitting at a table and listening to someone else talk constantly. He preferred to get up and go, which was one of the reasons he became a gym teacher.

Today, he was almost better off not showing up. By the time lunch rolled around, everyone had noticed there was something else on his mind. He sat in the cafeteria with a few of the other gym teachers (his usual group).

"Alright," his friend gave him a pat on the back, "where have you been all day?"

James grinned. He hadn't told any of his co-workers yet of his plans to ask Serena to marry him. No one outside her family knew of the engagement. His own family had no idea. Their joking around had given him the motivation to get it done, but no one knew he had taken them seriously.

"You guys know Serena, right?" he asked. He usually spent his lunches with her and on some days they would also sit with the other teachers, mostly the gym teachers like James. They had met her and talked with her once or twice before, at least, and some of them had even started becoming friends with Serena, though with her crazy schedule it was hard for her to keep anything permanent here at the school.

"Your girlfriend," his friend nodded.

"Fiancée," James grinned happily. He pulled out the box that carried the ring, showing them it was empty, "I proposed to her last night."

Congratulations fell upon him. His friends and coworkers were happy for him. At the end of the table, one teacher from another group overheard his announcement and rolled her eyes.

"A bit ironic, don't you think?" she asked as she scooted down the table to join James' group. "Gym teacher marries a cripple."

"She's not a cripple," James said. "She got into an accident and lost all feeling in her legs. More good news is that she has a little feeling back."

There was another round of congratulations from everyone around the table except for the one teacher. James saw her looking bitter and rolled his eyes, "Okay, Marissa, I get you and Serena aren't friends, but this is a big step for her. Can't you at least fake a smile?"

"I don't like her," Marissa shook her head. "Personally, I think she got what she deserved. Before she came, I had no problems with my students. They did what they wanted and I could sit back and relax."

"Those days are over. Believe it or not, this is better for all of us," James nodded. "I'll admit, Serena's given us all a bit more work, but that's the job. We're shaping tomorrow."

"Bullshit," Marissa shook her head, "Life doesn't start until long after high school. The way I see it, we're all just wasting our time in here. These kids are idiots, we're bigger idiots for thinking we can change them, and Serena's the biggest idiot of them all."

"Don't hold back," James grumbled, clenching his fist around his fork, "Tell me what you really think."

Marissa rolled her eyes, "Your crippled fiancée has caused nothing but problems for me and the students. She's made all our workloads heavier, her little sister beat up your star football player, which lead to your team softening up and us losing our shot at the playoffs for the first time in twenty-five years. Then there was all that drama with Frankie, the Rangers, and Serena was right in the middle of it, and then…"

"Whoa, whoa," James frowned, "Alright, Emily hurt Howie, but he did start it. Serena was in no better condition that he was when we found her and Howie did provoke Emily. And that whole thing with Frankie wasn't Serena's fault at all. He kidnapped her little sister! Do you even know what happened?"

"I think its all bullshit," Marissa shook her head. "She got what she deserved. That car accident or whatever could have killed her for all I care. Besides, where is she today?"

"She doesn't have to come," James said, trying everything he could to stop himself from pounding Marissa into the floor, "besides, even if she did, I think her physio appointment is a lot more important than some teacher crap no one really pays attention to."

"Whatever," Marissa scoffed. "Hopefully she falls down a flight of stairs or something and puts us all out of our misery. You especially, James. You can do so much better. Gym teacher marries cripple, ha!"

"Just ignore Marissa," James' friend said. He put his hand on James' shoulder as Marissa walked back away and shared James and Serena's news with her group of friends and they all began laughing. "You know she's just jealous."

"I knew she wasn't a big fan of Serena," James frowned, "but that…"

"Serena's a big girl," another one of James's friends smiled. She touched his hand comfortingly, "You just ignore Marissa and if Serena needs to, she'll straighten her out. She straightened out all the students in a matter of months. Surely she can handle Marissa."

James shook his head, "No. Serena's come too far. I don't want her fighting another battle. She doesn't deserve it."

"So what, you're going to try to keep your fiancée and your ex apart?" James friend asked and he shook his head, "You know that's impossible, right? Marissa's classes always give Serena the most problems. She has to step in several times a week to straighten the students out."

James shook his head, "I've got to come up with something."

-Samurai-

Mike hit the ground again, punched his fists into the mat and jumped up.

"Rematch."

"That's your twentieth since my first win," Serena groaned. With the exception of a quick break for lunch, Serena had been training her new skills with Mike since that morning. At first, as expected, he had beat her easily, but the more she practiced, the more she realized what she needed to do and the easier it got to take him down quickly.

"Serena's a fast learner," Emily reminded Mike from the sidelines, "I think she's back to being better than you. You don't stand a chance."

Mike gave Emily a glare. She shrank away nervously, holding Terran close as a shield.

"I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah," Mike muttered. He pointed to the chair, "To be fair, I don't want to hurt you."

"Give me all you've got," Serena taunted. "I'll still kick your ass and you know it."

"You asked for it," Mike smirked and lunged for Serena again.

Jayden stepped out of the house to check up on his sparring Samurai. He walked up beside Emily and Terran, "So how's it going?"

"Serena's kicking Mike's butt," Emily chuckled.

"She learns quickly," Jayden commented as he watched Serena beat Mike again, but she nearly fell out of her chair doing so. When they were both back up and ready, Mike asked for another rematch.

"He's nothing if not stubborn," Jayden laughed. He looked to Emily just as Mike cried out and grabbed his foot. Serena had rolled over his toes with her chair, earning herself another point because Mike was too sore to defend himself and she took him out again. Jayden chuckled a bit and put his hand on Emily's back, "I came here to talk to you."

"Me?"

"Serena's not going to be on the battlefield anytime soon, even she knows that. But you are."

"So?"

"Didn't Dayu make a deal with Serena not to hurt you?"

"So?"

"Emily, Dayu's smart. She knows what she did to Serena. By now she probably knows Serena's not dead. Next time she sees you, she's going to try to get you to start something."

"What if I want to fight?" Emily pointed to Serena, who was laughing at Mike because his foot was still sore, "Dayu's the one who put Serena in that chair, and we're lucky Serena's in the chair. Dayu could have killed her!"

"Emily, the last thing we need is for you to do something stupid like challenging Dayu. Think of Mike, Terran, and Serena. What'll happen to them if something happens to you?"

"I…"

"Ignore Dayu, Emily. Next time you see her, if she tries to talk to you, turn away. Run away if you have to. Let someone else fight. You'll be giving Dayu exactly what she wants if…"

"Dayu wants Mia."

"Dayu wants any of you girls," Jayden reminded Emily. "Don't fight her, Emily."

Jayden gave Emily a squeeze on the shoulder before he let go and walked back inside. Emily looked down at Terran and sighed.


	137. Monalua Island

Ji had his eyes on the map, carefully scanning each zone of the city while the Rangers were outside. They were supposed to be training, but he could hear a lot of laughter and assumed they had fallen off track. He didn't make much of it. They had been working hard lately and they had been through a lot. A little laughter and a little fun never caused any harm. But, despite how well everything was going now, Ji had a bad feeling. Xandred and the Nighlok had been quiet for weeks. It wasn't like them to wait so long for between attacks, especially when they hadn't even sent any Moogers out to remind the Rangers that the war wasn't yet won. Ji worried because when the Nighlok did take these long breaks, they always came back with something big and threatening, something Ji wasn't sure the Rangers could handle right now.

Because the feeling in his stomach continued to bubble no matter how many times the map of the city told him everything was all clear, Ji expanded the map out to the surrounding areas. They too were free of Nighlok, but one little island, Monalua, just slightly off the coast of Panorama City had a faint blinking dot, indicating there was something going on there. Ji instantly pulled out his Samuraizer and dialled the number for his friend who lived on the island. When no one answered, Ji knew there was something wrong. He got up and walked to the front of the house. As he opened the doors he could see James pulling into the driveway, back from work with a big smile on his face, the same smile that he had had since the night before when Serena agreed to marry him. Ji was happy for them, but unfortunately he had some bad news. He called all the Samurai inside the house and showed them the map.

"There's some activity on Monalua Island. So far, there is no actual Nighlok attack, but there is something there. When I tried to call in, there was no answer."

"You think something's happened?" Jayden asked, looking carefully at the map. Ji nodded his head.

"The Nighlok have been quiet for a while now," he looked down at Serena, "Given our circumstances, they would have had plenty of opportunities to take us out. They haven't even tried, so I'm afraid they may be up to something.

The Rangers all nodded their heads in understanding. Jayden then cast a small glance over at Emily, reminding her of the talk they had had. Emily nodded her head and when Jayden looked away she rolled her eyes. She gave Terran to James and followed the others out the door.

Serena watched them leave with a pit in her stomach. She didn't normally follow them out to battle, but they were normally in the city and she could usually run in to help if they ever needed her. Now they were going out of town, across a body of water and onto an unfamiliar island. Serena couldn't help them, no matter how badly she wanted to. She balled her hands tightly into fists and rubbed her thighs.

"What if it's Dekker, Urumasa, Serrator, and Dayu?" she looked up at Ji. "They wouldn't trigger the Gap Sensors, would they?"

"I will keep my eyes on the map," Ji promised Serena, "You are safest here at home."

"You wouldn't have said that if I weren't in this chair," Serena growled, "and I wouldn't be in this chair if I hadn't given away Urumasa to those three. I need to be out there, Ji."

"Serena, Ji's right," James put his hand on her shoulder, "I know you want to be out there with them, but things don't always work out like we planned…"

"I have my symbols," Serena looked back and forth between James and Ji, "I've been training all day in hand-to-hand and with a sword. Please, Ji…"

"And how do you expect to get around Monalua in a wheelchair?" Ji frowned and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Serena, but this is one mission where you're going to have to sit out and trust the Samurai will make it back. If you need something to do, you can continue training, or I can see if the doctor is willing to come in early for your appointment."

"James?" Serena looked up at her fiancé, hoping to get some support from him, but he just shook his head.

"You're still recovering, Serena. You may be great in training, but you're not ready for a battle yet," he set Terran down in her lap, "Maybe the next mission."

"But this could be my fault…"

"You traded Urumasa for the antidote that saved Emily and Mia's lives," James reminded her. "I would have done the same thing. Anyone here would have. You are not at fault," James knelt down so he could look her in the eyes, "We'd be even worse off now if we would have lost both the girls. This was the better of two bad decisions. Stop being so hard on yourself."

"If any of them get hurt…"

"You'll kick ass," James gave her a kiss, "just like you always do."

-Samurai-

As the Rangers stepped off the ferry and onto the island, they found themselves walking into a dump. Everything imaginable had been left at the harbour, completely abandoned whether it was broken or not. But the strangest sight to see was that there wasn't a single person clearing it away. There wasn't a single person anywhere in sight. Emily's eyes shifted back and forth as a shiver traveled up her spine.

"Where is everyone?"

"That's what we have to find out," Jayden reminded her as he scanned the island. He wasn't sure what he was looking for. Ji had told him that something strange had happened on the island, but he hadn't been specific on what. Jayden was certain this was Xandred's doing, but until he knew whether it was Moogers, a Nighlok, or something worse he had to be careful.

Unfortunately, the island was big. There was no way they would be able to search it all in one day and Jayden didn't want to be here longer than he needed to. He looked at his team.

"We should split up," he announced and he saw the group was breaking up into their usual pairings. He felt a pang of fear when he saw Mike and Emily pair up. He had no idea what was on this island, and no idea what Emily would do if the source of everything was Dayu. He had spoken with her and it seemed as though she had agreed to listen to him, but he couldn't be sure when he wasn't keeping an eye on her. Mike would try to convince her not to do anything stupid, but Jayden wasn't sure it was enough.

"Actually," he announced, "why don't we switch it up? Mia, you're with me. We'll search the city; keep our eyes peeled for anything strange. Mike and Antonio can go door to door. Someone's still got to be living here. Hopefully they'll tell us what happened."

He left Emily with Kevin. It was the best he could do without making it obvious that he wanted to babysit Emily. If he had asked her to come with him she would know exactly why and if she didn't agree with him, she would be reluctant to follow his orders. Kevin was a lot like Jayden when it came to battle strategies. Without Jayden having to talk to him, the blue Ranger would know not to let Emily run off and face Dayu alone if they ran into her. And, unlike Mike, Kevin was more willing to use force if Emily didn't listen to reason.

"Alright, let's split up," Antonio said. He and Mike started for the neighbourhood, where they could hopefully find someone to talk to.

Kevin pointed to a nearby forest. Nothing good happened in forest and he was sure if there was something going on, it was coming from there. He tapped Emily on the arm and she followed him.

Jayden looked to Mia and they started to walk around the city. As they got further in, they started to notice a few people peeping out their windows our out from behind some debris, but as soon as they met eyes with either Mia or Jayden, they rushed away into their homes or shelters, as though they were terrified by the Rangers' presence.

"This is weird," Mia commented. Jayden nodded his head.

"We're not on vacation. We wouldn't be sent here if there wasn't something weird going on."

"I meant the teams," Mia chuckled and looked to Jayden, "Not that I mind being with you, it's just I'm used to Kevin."

"I thought we could use a little switch," Jayden shrugged, hiding his true intentions from Mia. He didn't need the whole team worrying. He wasn't even sure Dayu was on this island. "It's best if we work with different people. It'll help us get to know each other better."

"So we're supposed to be bonding?" Mia furrowed her brow and stopped walking. Jayden stopped as well and turned around to look at her. "Jay, this isn't a good time for a bonding session. Besides, we've known each other for a year and a half. We break up into our usual pairs because they work. We're strongest…"

"When we work together," Jayden interrupted. He started walking again, "I made this call, Mia, and I have my reasons. Everything I do, I do for a reason."

Mia gave Jayden a look as he walked away, and then she sprinted to catch up with him. She touched his shoulder, "Alright, then what is your reason? And don't tell me bonding?"

"I want to keep Emily away from Dayu," Jayden cast Mia a sideways glance. "After what she did to Serena…"

"Jay, we're all pissed at Dayu for what she did to Serena. I'm pissed about that, and I'm still pissed at what happened all those months ago between me and Dayu. I offered her my hand, gave her the chance to leave Xandred and be protect by us, and in return she nearly killed me and hurt Emily."

"Mia…"

"Face it, Jay, Dekker and Dayu, when we fight them, it's going to be personal, no matter what. There's nothing you can do about that anymore."

"Let's keep looking," Jayden said. He started walking at a faster pace. Mia jogged slightly to catch up with him. She could tell he was shutting down and decided she wasn't going to press the matter anymore. She could only hope that no one did anything stupid.

-Samurai-

Walking through the city to get to the woods was creepy. There wasn't a soul in sight, but Kevin had the terrible feeling he was being watched. He kept one eye on Emily as they stepped into the forest. He didn't want to be parted from her. Breaking up the group started to feel like a bad idea and there was no way he wanted to find himself all alone.

Suddenly, from out behind the trees a young boy sprinted across Kevin and Emily's path, running like his life was in danger. Kevin pointed him out to Emily and hoped they could get some answers from him.

"Wait!" Emily called after him as she took off running, sticking close behind him but he was always too far to catch. Kevin, despite what his mind was telling him, took off another way, hoping to cut the boy. He did exactly that and the scared boy found himself trapped between the two of them.

"We're not going to hurt you," Kevin promised, lowering himself down slightly to the boy's level. The boy looked back and forth between the two of them.

"Yes you are. You're the enemy!"

"No, we're the good guys," Emily smiled brightly and the boy seemed to calm down. Kevin didn't know about himself, but there was nothing truly threatening about Emily at first glance. When the boy seemed ready, Emily reached her hand out and touched his shoulder, "See, that's better. What made you think that we were your enemies?"

Kevin examined the boy a little closer. He thought it was just the shadows from the trees, but there were dark spots on the boy's face. As he gave the boy a closer look, he saw the dark spots resembled ash, "What's that on your face?"

The boy looked to him like he was crazy, as if he had no clue there was anything stained on his face. He touched his hand to his cheek, smearing some of the dark stuff onto his hand. He shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know…" he trembled as he spoke, "One minute… I was with my mom. The next minute there was dark stuff falling from the sky and everyone went crazy."

"We're not going to let anything happen to you," Emily promised the boy. "You're safe with us, okay?"

"Think that ash has something to do with the strange things going on on this island?" Kevin asked Emily. She nodded her head.

"It's the only clue we have so far. Why don't you call the others and I'll see if the boy can tell us anything else."

Kevin pulled out his Samuraizer while Emily walked the boy over to a fallen tree. She sat down next to him and tried to get him to open up.

-Samurai-

It was like there was nobody home. Antonio and Mike took turns knocking on each and every door but no one would answer. Some people would peek out from their windows but they all refused to open the door to talk to Antonio and Mike.

"This is ridiculous," Mike grumbled, kicking a pebble off the path as he stepped away from the door and walked back to Antonio. "Something's up, but no one wants to tell us?"

"They're probably terrified," Antonio said as his Samuraizer started to beep. He answered it, hearing Kevin on the other end. He explained what he knew and after Jayden announced they all meet up at the base of the mountain Antonio hung up. He turned to Mike, "Apparently some ash started falling from the sky and that's why the people are hiding. It's done something to them."

"Nighlok's doing, no doubt," Mike nodded. "So I guess there is something here."

"But what?" Antonio asked. "I know this place isn't exactly covered in Gap Sensors like back home, but surely if there was a Nighlok walking around he would have triggered at least one by now."

"Gap Sensors can't detect Dayu and Dekker, not without going off constantly because of Terran," Mike reminded the gold Ranger, "They could be here, and if they are…"

A deep laughter was heard from the other side of a large hedge. Mike and Antonio exchanged glances and without a word they both raced around the bush. They stopped dead in their tracks as Serrator marched towards them, chuckling the entire way.

"You're feeling it already, aren't you?" Serrator asked as he spotted the boys, "That feeling creeping up spine, telling you you've fallen into a trap and there's no escape."

"Go, go Samurai!" Mike and Antonio both cried out as they morphed. They charged towards Serrator, but all he did was hold out a hand. Purple energy surrounded both boys as Serrator lifted them off the ground. They cried out in agony as the energy penetrated their suits and burned through their skin like fire. The energy held them tight, and the more they squirmed, trying to free themselves, the more it burned. Serrator chuckled and clenched his hand into a fist. The purple energy tightened around Mike and Antonio and it felt like a thousand needles were being stabbed into their bodies.

"That should finish you off," Serrator laughed and turned his back, leaving the boys up in the air with the purple energy, "if it doesn't kill you, you're going to wish it had. I was hoping for more of a fight, but I can see you're still not worth my time."

-Samurai-

After being told by Jayden to go to the base of the mountain, Kevin hung up his Samuraizer and looked to Emily. He was about to share the plans with her when he saw her eyes were focused on something in the distance. Something over his shoulder. He slowly turned around and saw Dayu approaching. There was a wicked grin on her face.

Anger, loathing, and pure disgust burned inside Emily as she got to her feet and pushed the boy away, telling him to run to safety. Already terrified from the ashes, the boy didn't need to be told twice. He darted off, leaving Kevin and Emily on their own with Dayu.

"Well, well," Dayu smirked, drawing her sword, "Look who I ran into. Blue Ranger and Yellow. How is your sister doing?"

Emily stepped up beside Kevin. He glanced at her and suddenly Jayden's plan dawned on him: the reason why he had separated Mike from Emily. The way she glared at Dayu with nothing but hate and revenge screamed her will to fight no matter what. Mike, no matter how hard he tried, wouldn't be able to deny Emily or himself the opportunity to try and destroy Dayu for what she had done. They would have both been blinded by rage, and perhaps even defeated. Kevin quickly grabbed Emily's arm.

"You go to the mountain," he told her, "I'll keep Dayu busy."

Emily shook her head. Jayden's words echoed in her head but she ignored them. At this very moment she didn't care what happened to herself. Her mind raced back to the moment she first saw her sister after the attack, and every other moment where Serena had suffered because of what Dayu had done, not just recently, but right from the very start.

"Emily," Kevin pushed her away, "Run, now!"

"Pathetic," Dayu rolled her eyes, "Running away, yellow? At least your sister had the courage to fight. It's a shame it didn't do her any good, but I will give credit where credit was due. It's just too bad she had to die and you got to live."

"She's n…"

"Shut up, Dayu!" Kevin snapped, quickly figuring he could buy Serena a little more safety if Dayu believed she was truly dead.

Dayu lowered her sword and shrugged. She then crossed her arms over her chest, "It's really a shame, too. As much as I despised her, I find myself bored now. Your sister was quite the challenge and you, yellow Ranger, aren't worth my time."

Emily was losing it. Tears streamed down her cheeks. Serena wasn't dead, but during her recovery there had been times Emily knew she wished she had been. Serena had suffered so much because of Dayu that even now death looked like the better option. If this continued, if Dayu continued to loath Serena, and when she discovered that Serena was still alive (because secrets couldn't be kept forever), the misery wouldn't stop. Dayu would keep up the torture and the pain for as long as she needed, and there was only so much Serena, Emily, and the Rangers could stand.

"Fortunately, I still have the pink Ranger to keep me busy," Dayu smirked. Kevin's attention was suddenly grabbed. He forgot all about Emily and Serena at the mention of Mia. After seeing what Dayu had done to Serena, Kevin could only imagine the things Dayu would want to do to Mia. He clenched his fists tightly, trying to keep calm, though finding it becoming more and more impossible.

"Let it go, Dayu. She's nothing to you."

"I have nothing else to do with my life anymore," Dayu shrugged. "Right now, I have orders to destroy you pathetic Rangers and Serrator's promised to give me back what was once mine if I can do so."

Dayu lifted her arms and her Nighlok form disappeared. Because she thought Serena was dead, Serrator had deemed her mission complete and had honoured his promise. Dayu now had the ability to change back and forth between her Nighlok body and her human body. She grinned, locking eyes with Emily, "This is the body I used to kill the sensei of that stupid Academy your sister was at. It's the body I used to blend in when those idiot ninjas blamed your sister for the murder, and it's the body I used as I slowly and very painfully took your sister's life. You should have heard her screams, begging for me to…"

Emily let out a hellish scream as she morphed instantly and charged Dayu.


	138. Weaknesses

Jayden and Mia were on their way to the base of the mountain when they ran into Dekker. The others were expecting them soon so they didn't want to waste any time. They charged into battle, hoping they could get Dekker to retreat soon, but the half-Nighlok didn't seem ready to leave. He wanted a duel and it seemed even without his memories, Jayden was still his favourite target.

"Serrator told me you were the one to beat," Dekker said as he clashed swords with Jayden, leaving Mia a bit of time to recover after hitting the ground.

"Haven't you moved on?" Jayden asked.

Mia jumped up to her feet and threw herself between Dekker and Jayden, blocking an attack from Dekker that would have hurt Jayden badly. Dekker turned to her, frustrated by her mere presence. With Urumasa in his hands he could feel the urge for the ultimate duel and the red Ranger would be the one to give it to him. However, Pink continued to get in the way, no matter how many times he tried to knock her down.

"You're in my way!" he cried, slashing his sword across Mia's chest and knocking her back to the ground. He wanted to continue his assault on her to make sure she couldn't interfere anymore, but Jayden jumped in between them. He protected Mia like she protected him. He clashed swords with Dekker a few more times before Mia got back up. Jayden saw her in the corner of his eye and stepped aside slightly, opening up a path for her to attack Dekker. He didn't care for the ultimate duel. He just wanted Dekker to leave.

Dekker struck Mia again and she rolled away. It was taking her longer and longer to get up each time. Jayden returned to fighting Dekker solo but saw a look of disappointment in the Nighlok's eye.

"You rely on teammates to fight your battles? A true warrior fights alone! Urumasa must be mistaken!"

Jayden looked Dekker in the eyes, taken aback by his words. He knew his team had gotten much stronger and he had learned to lean on them a lot more, but he had no idea it was turning into his weakness. Dekker struck him again, knocking him off a small ledge. He rolled to the ground and powered down, exhausted from the intense fight. He turned his head to the side and saw Dekker standing at the top of the ledge, looking down. Dekker turned back into his human form and shook his head.

"Pathetic," he turned away from Jayden, "You're not even worth fighting. If you're the best there is, humanity doesn't stand a chance."

Dekker turned around and marched off into the woods. Jayden rolled over in the grass so he was lying on his stomach. He groaned and beat his fists into the earth.

His team was strong, they needed to be. But Dekker's words stung. Several times in the fight, Mia had come to his rescue, saving him from blows and strikes that would have been deadly. Was he now the weakest link? He couldn't afford it. He couldn't be the Ranger everyone had to protect. It was all a lie and he wouldn't let his friends die for a lie.

"Jayden!" Mia fell by his side and helped him up, "Are you okay?"

Jayden pushed her away and got up. With a limp he walked away. Mia followed him. She could already tell there was something bothering him.

-Samurai-

Mike couldn't remember when exactly he has passed out, but the pain of the purple energy had become so unbearable his body shut down. Now, as his eyes fluttered open, he couldn't see the purple energy anywhere. Somehow he had gotten away from it, but he didn't feel safe yet. He tried to move his hands but found they were bound tightly and above his head. He looked up. His hands were tied to a beam across the ceiling. When he looked down, his ankles were bound as well. He was standing upright, unable to move. He heard a groan from behind him and glanced over his shoulder.

"Antonio!" he cried, seeing the gold Ranger was here with him, unfortunately he was bound in a similar manner to Mike. "Dude, wake up."

"Where are we?" Antonio asked. As he tried to move, he figured out for himself he was tied up. The pain he had suffered from the purple energy shot through his body and he groaned again, "What happened?"

"No idea where we are, but Serrator really packs a punch. We didn't stand a chance."

There was a creaking sound that came from the top of the stairs. Mike and Antonio, despite the protest from their bodies, turned around to see what was happening. A door at the top of the staircase opened and a woman slowly descended the stairs, holding a frying pan in her hands for protection.

"You're up?" she asked when she saw Mike and Antonio moving about. She approached them carefully, "Who are you? What do you want with me?"

"We're here to help," Mike promised, "Untie us, we're not the bad guys…"

"Liars!"

"Mike," Antonio whispered, "She's got the ash on her face. Kevin said that's what's making these people crazy."

"What do you want with me?" the woman asked, approaching the two boys a little more. She seemed ready to use the frying pan at a moment's notice. "Tell me what you want!"

"We just want…" Mike was suddenly smashed over the head with the frying pan and he fell completely limp. Antonio's eyes were wide in shock and fear. Whatever the ash was doing, it didn't bode well for him. The woman turned to him, fear and panic in her eyes. Antonio couldn't back away even if he wanted to. She held the frying pan up, ready to swing again. Antonio closed his eyes and his world plunged into darkness again.

-Samurai-

Kevin felt something wet and cool hit his face and suddenly he found it hard to breathe. He coughed, pushing the water from his lungs and sat up. He was on the shore of a wide river, soaking wet and thankful that he had washed up along the muddy sides instead of following the current and being lost forever somewhere out in the ocean.

His battle against Dayu had gone poorly. She had been much stronger than he anticipated, and he had wasted most of his energy trying to protect Emily. She had been the one to fight like there was nothing to lose and it had cost her dearly. Dayu had injured her badly and then pushed her over the edge of a cliff, knocking her into the river below before throwing Kevin over as well.

Kevin pulled his shirt off, knowing that even in the warm summer air he would freeze if he kept it on. He wrung it out and tossed it over his shoulder. He then reached down to his feet to take off his socks and shoes when it dawned on him that he was alone. He pulled his shoes and socks off quickly, but tossed them aside and jumped to his feet.

"Emily!" he screamed and looked around, hoping she had gotten herself to safety. Despite this being her fault, Kevin knew he would be dead if he let anything happen to Emily. Jayden had trusted him to keep an eye on her, and everyone else was so protective they would murder him without a second thought (and that was before he got home to Serena).

"Kevin!" Emily screamed back in a panic and he followed the sound of her voice down the river, racing as fast as his legs would carry him. He kept his eyes on the water, but hoped she was somewhere along the shore.

He spotted her in the middle of the river. A tree just by the shore had fallen over, catching in its branches and it kept her from getting lost, but the river was still pushing against her, pinning her to the tree and occasionally pulling her under. Emily held on as tightly as she could to the branch, knowing that if she let go she would be pulled under the tree and carried away by the river.

Kevin jumped up onto the trunk of the tree that hung onto the shore. Any moment now it looked like the water would take it away, but Kevin needed it to hold on for at least five more minutes. With careful but quick steps, he made it over to Emily. He grabbed a sturdy branch that stuck up, using it for support so he wouldn't fall in, and then reached down. Emily grabbed onto his hand with both of hers, and with what little strength he had left he lifted her out of the water. She shivered, freezing cold from the river and clung onto him tightly as he carried her back to the shore. He lowered her carefully to the ground, but when she was just a few inches away he dropped her.

"You little idiot," he grumbled and pat his pockets, hoping he hadn't lost his Samuraizer in the river. If he had, it would be long gone by now. Fortunately, he found it safe and undamaged in his front pocket. He traced two identical symbols and two towels appeared. He wrapped one around himself and the other around Emily. He sat down beside her and pulled her into his arms. He had nearly drowned enough times to know how terrifying it was; especially when he hadn't been sure he would ever get help. "You could have gotten us both killed. What were you thinking?"

"Dayu…"

"Hurt Serena, I know," Kevin nodded. "I'm pissed off too, you moron, but that's not the way we do things. You should have run when I told you. You should have found the others. They could have helped."

"I'm sorry," Emily coughed up some water and then she looked at Kevin. She didn't have the energy left to fight. His eyes met hers and they were filled with disappointment and anger. She looked away, lowering her head. Kevin gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Serena's already lost her ability to walk. I doubt she wants to lose her little sister, too. From now on, until we get back home, you follow my instructions, is that understood?"

Emily nodded her head and she felt Kevin pulling away. He got up, finished drying himself up as best as he could and then he pulled Emily up. He wrapped his towel around her and then scooped her up in his arms. The water has washed away most of the blood, but Kevin had noticed a deep gash along her calf, and he was sure he had a cut or bruise on his chest, but he didn't have time to check it. Dayu had beaten them both up pretty badly and before they could do anything else he needed to make sure they were okay.

"On my way down I thought I saw an abandoned barn or something," he told her, "We'll rest there, but not for long. The others are probably wondering where we are."

-Samurai-

Jayden limped to the base of the mountain before finally collapsing. Mia pulled him back up and allowed him to lean on her as she walked him up to what appeared to be an empty house. Jayden wasn't surprised there was no one home. Everything on the island was already unusual.

The door was unlocked so the two Rangers let themselves in. Mia set Jayden down in a chair and she sat on the coffee table. She pulled out her Samuraizer. Their fight with Dekker had delayed them, so Mia had been sure she and Jayden would be the last to arrive, but she hadn't seen anyone.

"Hello?" she spoke into the Samuraizer but no one answered and it only made her worry more. Mike, Antonio, Emily, and Kevin were all out there somewhere and she couldn't reach them. She didn't know if they had found each other and they were looking for her and Jayden, or if they needed help too. Because the Samuraizers kept ringing, she feared it was the latter. She tried to dial the number for the Shiba House, but all she heard was static.

"No one," she looked over to Jayden who was sulking in the chair. His mind was miles away as she thought about what Dekker had said. He couldn't believe he had let his own training slip so far. He couldn't believe just how dangerous he was to the others. Mia had thrown herself in harm's way several times during that fight. He knew she had done it because he was her friend and she would have done it for anyone else, but everything she knew about him felt like a lie. She wasn't even technically supposed to be her friend. None of the original Samurai were.

Mia put her hand on his shoulder, "Don't worry, Jay. It's just a minor setback."

"He can see my weakness," Jayden said.

"We all have weaknesses, Jay, but we all have faith in you. That's why we're a team…"

"There are things you don't know about me," Jayden shrugged her hand off his shoulder and he got up from the chair. He started for the door but Mia caught up to him. She pulled him back.

"Like what? You can tell me anything. You should know that by now."

Jayden looked her in the eyes and shook her head, "It's not important."

"It's bothering you. Obviously…"

"Just worry about yourself," Jayden told her. "You do this all the time. You all do. It's like you all forget I'm red Ranger. I grew up with this stuff. It's my life. When I give an order, you are meant to follow it. I told you to worry about yourself, so dammit, Mia, I expect you to leave me alone! I know what I'm doing."

"You're being an idiot, that's what you're doing," Mia growled and she grabbed Jayden's arm, pulling him back as he tried to walk out. He hissed in pain but she didn't care, "You're always doing this, Jay. You protect us like you have nothing to lose, but when the tables turn and it's up to us to look out for you, you push us away like you're not worth it!"

"You have no idea, Mia…"

"So tell me!" Mia stomped her foot. "How the hell am I supposed to know what you want from me if you won't tell me what that is?"

"Go catch up with the others, destroy the source of the ashes and then go home. I'll take care of Dekker."

"I can't do that, Jayden," Mia shook her head, "For starters, the others aren't answering. I think something's happened to them. And I'm not leaving you to run off into danger alone. Dekker kicked both our asses without trying. Now you want to fight him alone?"

"It's all I have…"

"What about the sealing symbol?" Mia asked. Jayden's eyes widened and he clenched his fist tightly. Mia touched his shoulder again, "Jay, we need you. You're the only one…"

"It's a lie!" Jayden screamed as he swung his arm, striking Mia on the side of the face with the back of his hand. He was so tired of being "the man", so tired of the others thinking his life was worth more because of some symbol they thought he could master. Time after time they had put themselves in danger to protect him and he was sick of it. He was sick of the whole Samurai life.

Mia crashed to the floor and cradled her cheek in her hand. She looked up at Jayden, unsure of what to do next. Her cheek stung, bringing tears to her eyes which she tried to push back.

Jayden realized what he had done and whispered an apology before racing out of the house. Mia sat on the floor, stunned for a moment before she got up and raced after him.

"First I save him, and then I kill him."


	139. Bringing Guns To A Swordfight

As night fell over the Shiba House, all but one of the residents were getting ready for bed.

James set a very tired Terran in the crib and hummed the last few notes of the lullaby while Serena continued to train in the dojo. She hadn't stopped since Ji had forbid her from going on the mission with the Rangers, telling her it was too dangerous for her in her condition. James knew she wasn't happy, but he thought that after a few hours of the Rangers being gone she would calm down.

When Terran was fast asleep James tip-toed out of the room and over to the dojo where he found Serena beating into a punching bag. Despite the limitations of her wheelchair, Serena was proving to be an excellent fighter. James thought maybe Ji was wrong when it said it would still be a while before Serena was ready for battle, but she certainly wasn't ready today.

"The Rangers are fine," James said as the beatings ceased and he knew he could be heard. "Ji just went off to bed and he checked their signals on the map. They're all still alive…"

"They morphed," Serena rolled her chair over to the bench so she could take a sip of water.

"What?"

"They morphed. Their signals change when they morphed and it happened once. I checked. There was no sign of a Nighlok at the time. Do you know what that means?"

"No."

"Dayu, Dekker, Serrator, that's who they're up against. They're up against the troublesome trio that I made powerful and I'm not allowed to go out there and help them."

"You'll slow them down, Serena," James tried to approach her, "Right now, they're better off without you. I'm sorry to say it, Serena, but you're their weakness."

Serena grabbed the wheels to her chair and started to move away, "Screw you. Screw that. Screw it all."

"Where are you going?" James asked as Serena rolled out into the hall and she punched her fist into the button to open the door. When he realized she was going to try and leave and chased after her. He grabbed her chairs, set the brakes and then lifted her up and over his shoulder.

"James!" she shrieked as he carried her over to the couch and he laid her down.

"You're recovering, Serena," he sat on top of her lightly, pinning her down onto the couch, "I know you hate it, and you're going to hate me right now, but you can't do the things you used to do. You can't protect the Rangers or your sister anymore, or at least not right now. The best thing you can do for them, for everyone, is stay here out of sight.

"Get off of me," Serena wriggled under James.

"No," James leaned forward and kissed her forehead. At the same time he reached out and grabbed one of the blankets. He draped it over Serena and then sat on top of her again. Though she couldn't get up and walk out of the house, he had seen her crawl and while it took time, she did know how to get out. "Just go to sleep, Serena. Let your body relax and you'll be able to help soon, I promise."

Serena squirmed for hours and begged James to put her back in her chair. She made promises that she wouldn't leave if he let her up. She begged and pleaded until finally she was tired and dozed off. James finally got off her and too tired to go anywhere else, he made himself a bed on the floor right beside the couch.

-Samurai-

Torture. This was torture.

"Tell me what you want with me and this can all end."

The residents of Monalua Island were crazy. Whether this was the ashes doing or not, Mike and Antonio never wanted to come back here again.

After being beaten over the head with a frying pan, the woman who had captured them had untied them from the ceiling and was walking them both through the forest and up the side of the mountain. Mike and Antonio were disoriented and in a lot of pain, and it took maximum effort for them to walk, but even with all these weaknesses, the woman who thought they were the enemy refused to believe they weren't a threat.

"We don't want anything," Antonio pleaded and peeked over the edge of the trail. He was high up, very high up.

"That's what you would say if you were lying."

"Or telling the truth," Mike pointed out. "Which we are. Please, we don't want to hurt you."

"Everyone wants to hurt me," the woman pushed the boys forward as they started to slow down. "Even my own son wants me dead."

"It's the ash," Antonio looked over his shoulder and looked at the black stains on the woman's face, "It's brainwashed you…"

"Keep walking! We're almost there."

Mike looked to Antonio, "Splitting up was a very bad idea."

-Samurai-

Because it was late, and neither Kevin nor Emily had the energy to endure another run in with Dayu, they decided to spend the night in the barn Kevin found. Using the towels as pillows and creating blankets from symbol power, the two Rangers managed to make a bed for themselves.

Just as Kevin was about to close his eyes to sleep he heard someone coming towards him. He opened one eye and sighed, "You'll pull the stitches."

Emily huffed and sat down, stretching out her leg, "I just wanted to apologize again…"

"We'll talk back home."

"But Serena will yell at me if she finds out."

"I know," Kevin rolled over, "don't you think I thought of that? Go to sleep, Em. Dayu's going to do all she can to finish us off tomorrow. We don't want to give her more power than she already has."

"You don't get it, Kevin…"

"I do get it, Emily," Kevin grumbled as he sat up and looked Emily in the eye, "Serena's in a wheelchair. Serena almost died. I hate Dayu, and I know you hate her more. I know you look up to Serena. I know she's your big, strong, older sister and you hate seeing her so weak, but you're going to get yourself or somebody else killed if you do that again. What if I hadn't washed up on shore and instead drifted off into the ocean? Or what if I had hit my head and didn't wake up until after you had drowned? What if Dayu did to you as she did to Serena? If you're going to behave like this, you're going to put more pressure on Serena, and that's the last thing she needs. Right now, you've got to be the big sister. You've got to take care of her, even if that means putting your own feelings aside. You need to be strong, Em."

"That's what I've been doing. But Serena's not here…"

"So you need to be stronger," Kevin took Emily's hand, "If I know Serena, and I think I do, she's back at home worried sick about all of us, but mostly you. How do you think she's going to feel when she hears you tried to take on Dayu knowing you would get your butt kicked? How will she feel when she hears that she took her eyes off you for one day, and you nearly get yourself killed and you nearly drowned?"

"She'll never let me out of her sight again," Emily crossed her arms over her chest and pouted, "but…"

"Nothing. She needs to recover. She needs to relax. She's scared for you so you need to show her you're going to be okay. You need to show her you're the one thing in her life she's never going to lose. Stupid mistakes like the one you made today, what will those tell her?"

"That she could lose me any minute," Emily sighed. Kevin nodded his head and lay back down.

"Goodnight, Emily."

-Samurai-

"Jayden!" Mia shouted as she caught up to the red Ranger. He had hiked up the mountain, following a trail of smoke which he believed was the source of the ashes. He was a fire Samurai, born and raised. He knew where there was smoke, there was fire, and ashes were produced from the flames.

Jayden ignored Mia but slowed down his pace. In the dark he could see the flames burning inside a fire pit. There were a dozen Moogers standing in his way, as though they were expecting him, and Dekker was off to the side, sitting on a rock and looking very bored.

Dayu suddenly emerged from the group of Moogers and Jayden felt some panic rise up. Now there was Dekker and Dayu to worry about.

"This is as close as you're going to get," Dayu told him and then she turned to Dekker, "He's all yours."

Dekker looked to the red Ranger and then back to Dayu, "He's not worth fighting anymore."

"Fine," Dayu shrugged, "Then I'll finish him."

Jayden heard this and pulled out his Samuraizer, but before he could do anything else Dayu swung at him with her sword and Jayden needed to jump out of her way. He did so a few times before stumbling and falling to the ground. Dayu was about to bring her sword down to do as she promised when she felt her sword colliding into another, and metal clinking against metal was heard. Mia swung at Dayu, backing her away from Jayden as she stood before him protectively. Jayden clutched his side, trying to sit up.

"Mia, this is too dangerous!" he told her. "Protect yourself. I can fight my own battles."

"We'll talk later," Mia growled. Her cheek still stung from when he had slapped her, and she had to wonder what was going through his head, but there was a time and a place for that. Right now they were on a mission. Any questions she had were going to have to wait. "I owe Dayu some payback."

As Mia charged Dayu, challenging the Nighlok, Jayden pulled himself up to his feet. There was no stopping his team. Unfortunately the one thing they all had in common was that they were all so stubborn. Jayden couldn't watch Mia or anyone else get hurt. He got to his feet and morphed. Just as he was about to help Mia, Serrator appeared from thin air. He knocked Mia down and sent her flying back over to Jayden, who caught her before she could get hurt. Dayu was about to charge again when Serrator held up his hand.

"I've seen enough," he said. He looked to Jayden and Mia, "Your friends are gone. Dayu and I have made sure of it."

"Don't listen to him," Mia shook her head and turned to Jayden, "He's trying to get under our skin. He's trying to scare us. They'll be here."

"It's a shame you believe that," Serrator snapped his fingers and Moogers appeared, each of them holding out what looked to be guns. Jayden and Mia clutched their swords tightly but they knew it wasn't going to be enough.

"Now what?" Mia looked to Jayden.

"They've brought guns."

"I can see that. What do we do?"

"Drop your weapons, Rangers. It's the two of you against my army of Moogers and their blasters. You don't stand a chance."

"We run," Jayden whispered to Mia. He grabbed her arm and turned around to run, pulling her along with him. He could hear the Moogers firing their guns but each shot missed. Jayden and Mia were close enough to ledge, and it wasn't too far too far a fall to the next ledge. Holding her hand tight, they jumped over the ledge. The Moogers raced to the edge of the cliff and pointed their guns down. Jayden and Mia pressed themselves into the side of the mountain and hid under the lip hanging over their heads until the Moogers ceased fire.

Jayden signalled for Mia to keep quiet as he led her around. The Nighlok had new weapons and they were going to need to figure out something to compete with them.

"We need the others," Mia whispered, "I hope Serrator isn't right."

"If they're smart, they found somewhere to camp for the night," Jayden said. "We told them to meet us by the mountain so…"

"Any last words? The truth perhaps?" an unfamiliar voice interrupted Jayden and sounded as though it came from around the rocky corner. Jayden looked up, but it seemed they were far enough away from the Moogers and the Nighlok. He turned back to Mia, who already started poking her head around the corner to see who else was up on this mountain. Jayden, meanwhile, looked over the edge and saw he was a long way from the bottom.

"Jay," Mia whispered his name and waved him over. He hurried to her side and peeked around the corner. His heart stopped. Mike and Antonio were being forced to walk towards the edge of a cliff by a woman with a frying pan in her hands. Mike and Antonio's hands were tied behind their backs and it looked like they were too weak to fight back. "She's going to make them jump. They won't survive that fall."

"What is with these people?" Jayden asked as he raced out from around the corner. He knocked the frying pan out of the woman's hand and tackled her to the ground. She squirmed and squirmed, screaming to be let go, leaving Jayden with no choice but to knock her out with a symbol.

"Thank god!" Mike cried out, falling to his knees as Mia raced over to untie his hands. Jayden got off the woman and did the same for Antonio, but not before pulling him into a kiss.

"What happened to you two?" he asked, inspecting Antonio's head where a large bump had formed. He then started to work on Antonio's wrists.

"Serrator. He's here on the island," Antonio explained. "He hit us with this crazy purple stuff, and then that psycho thought we were the enemies!"

"She's mad," Mike nodded. His wrists were finally free but before he could taste his freedom he was tied up again, this time in Mia's arms as she hugged him. He hugged her back, happy to see her. "You have no idea how happy we are to see you."

"Probably about as happy as we are to see you," Jayden chuckled, "But it's not just Serrator here. Dekker and Dayu are here too."

"And Moogers with guns," Mia added.

"Guns?" Antonio asked. "That's cheating! I thought this was a swordfight!"

"That's why we need to regroup," Jayden said. He looked to Antonio and Mike, "Either of you seen Kevin and Emily?"

"Not since we split up," Mike shook his head.

"We should look for them," Jayden got up and helped Antonio to his feet. He wrapped his arm around his boyfriend. Just like himself, Antonio was also really weak, having taken a beating from both the crazy woman and Serrator. They leaned on each other to walk away when Jayden heard Mia clearing her throat. He turned around and once she finished helping Mike up to his feet she turned her head and pointed to her cheek. It was still red.

"We have time now."

"Where did you get that?" Mike asked, inspecting the side of Mia's face, "That looks like…"

"Mia, I'm so sorry," Jayden pulled away from Antonio as he pleaded for Mia's forgiveness. "I'm under a lot of pressure right now and…"

Mia crossed her arms over her chest, "Pressure you can put on us. We're a team, you dumbass. Your problems are ours."

"Not this one," Jayden turned away, "Look, Mia, I'm really sorry, but…"

"You hit her?" Mike growled and his fists clenched. This was going to sound really lame coming from him, considering he had hit Mia once before, but it needed to be said, "You're an asshole!"

"Mike…"

"At least I had the excuse of uncontrollable anger!" Mike roared, "Even then, I had no right. Where the hell did you get the nerves to lay your hands on Mia? What could she have possibly done to you to…?"

"None of you will understand," Jayden said. "Can we just figure out how to stop the ashes and get off this island? I'll deal with my punishment when we get home."

"Jay…"

"That's enough, Antonio!" Jayden snapped. "Let's stop wasting time. Kevin and Emily are still out there somewhere and we need them with us. Everyone, let's go."

Jayden set off, this time walking alone. Antonio trailed behind him slightly, unsure of whether to stick with his boyfriend, or fall back and stay with Mia and Mike, so he walked between the two of them.

Mike hung back with Mia and whispered to himself all the techniques he knew to keep calm. Mia took his hand.

"I'm fine," she told him, "It doesn't hurt that badly anymore. Besides, we have more to worry about."

"After what I did to Emily, hitting you was the most shameful thing I've ever done in my life," Mike whispered, "and the only reason it takes second place is because you didn't almost die because of it. Do you realize how bad this is?"

"Yes, Mike, but right now Jayden's right. We're on a mission; we need to focus on that."

"Just because he's red Ranger and he's the man with the sealing powers, that doesn't give him the right to…"

"I don't think he is," Mia interrupted. Mike gave her a funny look so she explained, "He and I talked, and that's when he hit me. When I brought that up, he hit me and all he said was that it was a lie."

"A lie?" Mike frowned and shook his head, "No way. He's Jayden Shiba. He's the red Ranger. He's the head of the Shiba Clan, the only head. No one but him…"

"If that's true, then he slapped me and lied about lying for what reason?" Mia asked and she cast a suspicious glance Jayden's way, "Something tells me we don't know the full story."

"Then what is the full story?"

"We'll find out once we're off this island," Mia gave him a pat on the back, "Now, I don't know about you, but finding Kevin and Emily is really tempting right now."

"Hopefully they're okay," Mike nodded. "Serrator really let Antonio and I have it."

"Dekker did the same with Jayden and me," Mia said. Suddenly, they both stopped walking and exchanged looks. They already knew Dayu was on the island, and if Serrator and Dekker had attacked Mike and Antonio, and Jayden and Mia, that left only one more combination. Dayu was no more deadly than either of her Nighlok teammates, but after seeing the trail of damage she could leave behind a terrible feeling bubbled up in their stomachs.

"Emily!" Mike screamed and he darted ahead, pushing past Antonio and Jayden. Mia was right behind him.

"Kevin!"


	140. The Lie

James was sure Serena would be sleeping in late. She had tired herself out by training all day that when she finally fell asleep there was very little that could wake her up.

Ji had checked the map when he woke up and saw the Rangers were still on the island. Hoping for the best, but fearing the worse, he walked off to get started on breakfast. There wasn't much he could do for the Rangers except make sure they had something to come home to. James and Serena weren't going to starve while they were away.

James, meanwhile, was playing with Terran in the common room. Terran was still a little young to be moving around, but James still liked the thought of encouraging Terran to go after a rolling ball. It flashed and bounced; grabbing Terran's attention every time it rolled by his legs. The young boy could barely sit up on his own, but whenever he saw the ball he would reach out for it, almost able to catch it and willing to just get up and run after it. Unfortunately his legs weren't strong enough, and he wasn't even ready to start crawling. After a while of playing that game, Terran got frustrated. He wanted the ball and he started to cry. James decided it was enough of that game and he gave the boy the ball and then picked him up.

"Just like your mother," he whispered and looked over to Serena whose legs were also useless for her. "You'll both learn to walk, I promise."

He kissed the side of Terran's head and was about to take him into the kitchen for breakfast when he heard a knock on the door. The Shiba House only had one regular visitor: him. Wondering who it could be, he slowly walked to the door and opened it. Footsteps behind him told him Ji was with him as well.

"Cody?" Ji asked as the door opened and a boy stood there looking happy. Ji invited him inside, making a comment about having permission to come. James noticed Cody had a bundle in his hand and pointed to it.

"What's that?" he asked.

Cody set the bundle on the kitchen table and he unwrapped it with a big smile. James was still baffled by most of the Ranger technology, but he could see this was a blaster.

"Bullzooka, dad called it," Cody said, "It's a lost weapon of the Bullzord. It's been too powerful for the Rangers to use until now, but dad's seen some of their recent fights on the news and he thinks they finally have the power to use it."

"The consequences could be deadly if they don't," Ji looked down at Cody, "This became a lost weapon for a reason. Was your father sure…?"

"Jayden did master the Bullzord," Cody nodded his head. "No one's done that before. This generation has what it takes to go all the way; dad and I both believe that. They'll just need a little help."

"The last thing this family needs is a gun," James groaned, "You guys are deadly enough with swords; you want to throw a gun into the whole mix? At what point do you guys start to think maybe you have too much firepower?"

"Until Xandred is defeated, we'll take all the weapons we can get," Ji said. He looked down at Cody and gave him a pat on the back, "Tell your father we're very grateful for this gift."

"One problem," James said, "How do we get it to the Rangers?"

Ji picked up the Bullzooka and strapped it to his back, "Tell Serena I went to get groceries."

-Samurai-

The Rangers had been up all night searching the mountain and the base of the mountain for Kevin and Emily, terrified Dayu had done to them as she had done to Serena. The very last thing the Rangers needed was to lose two teammates, on this island especially. After what the woman nearly did to Mike and Antonio, no one on the island could be trusted. Nowhere was safe.

"Mia!" Antonio called. Mike and Mia raced over. Jayden and Antonio had been searching along the river, hoping maybe to find Kevin and Emily close to a water source. Unfortunately, all they found was a pair of Kevin's socks and shoes.

Mia picked them up. They were still wet so she knew Kevin had been in the water, but the shoes and socks were all together, meaning he had taken them off himself.

"Think he jumped in?" Mike asked, putting a comforting hand on Mia's shoulder. She shook her head.

"If he took his shoes off to jump in, they wouldn't be wet," she said, "He came out of the water."

"Why would he be in the water with his shoes on?" Antonio asked. Mia held his shoe tightly in her hands. There was one word on her mind.

Mike knew exactly what that one word was, "Dayu."

"Okay, well we know Kevin got out of the water, so he's okay," Antonio said. "No need to panic, right?"

"Any sign of Emily?" Jayden asked, uttering his first words since his fight with Mia and Mike. "If Dayu did attack them and they both landed in the water, why would Kevin get out and take off his shoes and Emily keep hers on?"

"Guys…"

"Shut up, dude," Mike turned away from Jayden, "Kevin would never let Emily drown."

"I'm not saying he did," Jayden said. "You know what I am saying though. Dayu's not an idiot. She knows she hurt Serena and she knows she can use that against Emily. One Ranger down, no matter the colour, is a Ranger down."

"Guys…"

"You know, Jay, if sounds keep coming out of your mouth, I'm not going to have a single problem punching you in the face. So either shut up and keep your thoughts to yourself, or shut up and help us look for Emily and Kevin."

"Good idea. Emily, you look that way. I'll go this way. If we see each other, just shout," Kevin said after trying and failing to get the attention of the others. He decided he would have a little fun. Emily chuckled as the other Samurai finally realized Kevin and Emily were standing with them. Their jaws dropped. Mia jumped into Kevin's arms, happy to see him, and Mike swallowed Emily in a hug.

"What happened to you two?" Antonio asked and hugged his teammates once Mia and Mike let go.

"Dayu's on the island," Kevin said.

"And Serrator and Dekker," Mike added. "The whole team is here."

"And they brought guns," Mia said. "We can't even get close to them without risking getting shot."

"They brought guns?" Emily asked, furrowing her brow, "That's cheating!"

"Name one time the Nighlok played fair," Mia said. Emily shrugged her shoulders and looked over to Kevin. He seemed too preoccupied to tell the others about her fight with Dayu, which she was thankful for. She knew the others would be disappointed. Mike especially. She pulled into her fiancée, hugging him tight.

"We'll have to go in there," Jayden said. "I'll keep Serrator, Dekker, Dayu and the Moogers distracted while the rest of you…"

"No," Mia shook her head, "You're not running into danger head first! Until you tell us why we shouldn't protect you, we're going to do what we've been trained to do. We'll keep the Nighlok distracted and you'll sneak over to the fire and put it out."

"Mia…"

"That's an order!" Mia shouted. Jayden shrank back. He had always known she had it in her to terrify him, but she had never actually done so. Just to drill the point further into his head, she scratched her cheek, the one he had slapped when he snapped at her, and her eyes pointed to Kevin. Jayden lowered his head.

"Fine."

"Mia's in charge?" Emily asked, finding it a little odd Mia would take the lead over Jayden, and even stranger that she seemed to be furious with the red Ranger.

"I'll follow anyone but Jayden right now," Mike nodded.

"I just want to get off this island," Kevin said. "We'll do what Mia says. Jayden's the fire guy anyways. He should be the one to put it out."

"C'mon," Mia led the others back up the mountain, where she was sure the Nighlok were still waiting.

Jayden hung back, and Antonio stayed with him. The gold Ranger reached out and touched Jayden's arm.

"Jay…"

"Your safety is the most important thing to me," Jayden said. "That's not a lie."

"And everything else?"

"You told me you fight with me," Jayden looked to Antonio. "You don't care about the sealing symbol and…"

"Of course not. I just don't want to see you get hurt."

"I need you to trust me, Antonio," Jayden took Antonio's hands, "For just a little while longer. Please, can you trust me?"

"You hit Mia. Jay, this isn't looking good for you. Why can't you just tell us…?"

"Antonio, I need you on my side."

"Can we talk later?" Antonio asked. "I'm with the others. I want off this island. And maybe things will look better once we're back home."

"I love you," Jayden smiled weakly. Antonio sighed.

"I love you too. Now c'mon, we've got a fire to put out."

-Samurai-

Ji stepped off the ferry and onto the island. By now the news of the strange activity has spread onto the main lands and very few people were visiting the island. The only people on the boat with him were journalists dying for a story to tell, and a few worried friends and family who had come to check up on their loves ones. Ji made sure the Bullzooka was covered up. He didn't need to draw any attention to himself.

He was certain the Rangers had it in them to defeat whatever was on this island, but they had been gone for a day and he had no way to reach them. He was confident they were okay, but at the same time he knew there was a chance at least one of them was badly injured.

Looking up, he saw smoke coming from near the top of the mountain. There were no volcanoes on this island, so Ji figured it was best to start there and see what was happening. He had no idea where the Rangers were, so he had to go with the first clue he found.

The mountain seemed to be quite a walk away, and the harbour where he was standing was piled high in things that had been dumped and abandoned. Some were even in perfect condition, only added to the strangeness of the island. Ji found a motorcycle that had been left behind and after a little work he got it running. He picked up a helmet that had been discarded nearby and started to drive off towards the mountain. He would get this weapon to the Rangers, but if he found out anything had happened to them, he had no reservations using it himself.

There was a path that took him right up the mountain. As he approached the top, over the sound of the motorcycle's engine roaring, he could hear what sounded like blasters being shot. Just as he arrived to a ledge, he saw the Rangers were already in mid battle against an army of Moogers, while Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu watched from the sidelines. Jayden was nowhere to be seen. The Moogers had blasters of their own and were shooting at the Rangers, who until now had been doing a good job at dodging the blast. But as Ji arrived, he saw Antonio get shot multiple times before he fell to the ground. Each of the Rangers screamed as they raced over to see if he was okay. His suit hadn't left him yet, so the attack wasn't fatal, but there was no telling just how much pain he was in.

Ji drove right into the middle of the battle and jumped off his motorcycle. Moogers immediately rushed him, but he took them out with ease. Unlike the Rangers, he wasn't exhausted, and after watching one of them get shot down, he was pissed.

Moogers had lined the mountain side above the Rangers, with their blasters aimed straight at them. Ji powered up the Bullzooka and fired, taking several of them down with each shot. He hurried over to the Rangers as the Moogers regrouped. They had plenty of blasters in their possessions, but the Bullzooka had already proven it was powerful.

"It's more powerful if one of you use it," Ji said. He pulled Antonio up to his feet and held out the Bullzooka for anyone to grab.

"Kev," Mia looked to him and he nodded. He grabbed the Bullzooka and charged it up. He aimed for the group of Moogers who only now realized they had made themselves a target by standing together. Kevin fired, taking them down and then he turned and pointed the Bullzooka at Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu.

Jayden, meanwhile, had taken the long way up and finally arrived to the ledge, not too far away from the fire pit that was the source of the ashes causing the strange behaviour of the islanders. He looked over to the Rangers and saw they had a little extra help. Ji was standing with them, and Kevin had what looked to be weapon from the Bullzord in his hands. He was keeping Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu's attention away from the fire pit.

Jayden traced a symbol. He had the power to create fire, and he knew how to put it out as well. The symbol hit the flames and at first they roared and grew bigger than ever, but they quickly died down until there was nothing left but a spark, which Jayden stomped out with his foot. He then summoned his Fire Smasher and powered it up to destroy the pit once and for all. It drew attention to himself, but his mission was already done.

Serrator had seen enough. The Rangers were back, they were more powerful than ever, and now his plans for Monalua Island went up in smoke. Dayu had failed to destroy her two Rangers, green and gold had somehow escaped with their lives, and red and pink were still standing.

"Next time, Rangers, you won't be so lucky," he said as he disappeared, leaving Dekker and Dayu behind as he always did. Dekker looked to Jayden and scoffed. Without another word he walked off, telling the Rangers he was in no mood to fight.

Dayu sneered at the Rangers, particularly Kevin and Emily, "I thought I destroyed you."

"Em," Kevin said and he lowered the blaster slightly. He held it out for her, "Will you do the honours?"

Emily took the blaster and pointed it at Dayu. Before she could aim it properly, she fired. She didn't care if she hit Dayu or if she hit near Dayu, she just wanted to make sure she shot the Bullzooka before Dayu could escape.

The blast missed, but hit close enough to knock her off her feet. Mia decided to finish it off. Serena was her sister too and Dayu needed to know there were consequences to messing with the Samurai. She traced a symbol and a strong wind picked up. It carried Dayu over to the ledge and then blew her over. Dayu shrieked and screamed until a gap opened up on the side of the mountain and sucked her away, sparing her life.

Emily gave the Bullzooka to Ji as she powered down, "Where did you get this?"

"And why didn't you give it to us before we came here?" Mike asked.

"Let's just go home," Antonio said, tired of the island. "We can talk there."

-Samurai-

"Oh, James!" Serena called from the common room and he knew he was in trouble. He shot Terran a look before picking the boy up from the carrier.

"You're going to me my shield from mommy," James whispered into Terran's ear, "She won't hit me if I'm holding you."

He walked into the common room and saw Serena staring at the map. She wordlessly pointed to Monalua Island and James immediately saw the one flaw in Ji's idea to tell Serena he was getting groceries. There was a seventh signal on the island, coming from Ji's Samuraizer.

"Why does he get to go?"

"He's not in a wheelchair?" James shrugged. Serena held out her arms.

"Give me my baby."

"But he's my shield," James hugged Terran tighter.

"I'm not going to hit you. I want to yell at you, and I would prefer not to have Terran's face in my way when I do it."

James pushed Serena over to the couch and he took a seat. He kept Terran on his lap just for safety. With one hand he reached out and took Serena's.

"I don't want to play this card," he said, "because I feel like you never owe your family, but you need to understand just how dangerous it is for you to go out and fight, especially now."

"What does that have to do with my family?" Serena asked. "I know it's dangerous. I know they're in danger…"

"You could get yourself killed, Serena. How will you ever repay the debt you feel you owe Emily if you're dead?"

"I…"

"Think of her, Serena. Think of what'll happen to her if you throw yourself in the line of fire. She's doing this for you. She's out there fighting for you."

Serena shook her head, "Stop it, James."

"You'll be out of that chair soon, and you'll be fighting by her side once you're up, I know you will. But until that happens, do what you can to stay alive, okay?"

Terran started babbling and Serena looked down at her son. Her eyes filled with tears and she nodded her head. She pulled him onto her lap and baby talked back. James kissed her forehead and then gave her thigh a gentle pat. It seemed she felt it because she looked up at him.

"You're appointment with the doctor's in half an hour. We should think about heading out."

Serena nodded, "I have a good feeling about this appointment."

"You're not just saying that because you want to get back into the battle sooner, are you? You know we're listening to what the doctor says, not you."

"I'm serious," Serena smiled.

"I hope you're right, then. And maybe when we get back, the others will be home. I'll leave them a note just in case; you can head out to the car."


	141. Little Steps

After getting the Rangers home, Ji wanted to check them out, Mike and Antonio especially. Serena, James, and Terran were still out of the house at Serena's physio appointment and Ji was hoping he would have all the Rangers looked at before she got home.

"A frying pan?" Ji asked with a chuckle as Mike and Antonio shared their story of what happened on the island. "You mean to tell me that after all that training, all those years of martial arts, and you get a concussion from a woman with a frying pan?"

"And don't forget they were nearly pushed off a cliff," Mia added, just for fun. "Two mighty Rangers at the mercy of an everyday woman."

"That bitch was crazy," Antonio said. "Besides, she never would have gotten us were it not for Serrator. Have any of you been caught in his purple stuff? That's what really hurt."

"And its left its mark as well," Ji gave Antonio his shirt back, "I've never seen burns like these before. Fortunately, they look treatable. You two are lucky Serrator didn't do worse. We know it could have ended badly."

"Very badly," Kevin nodded. He sat in the corner of the common room next to Emily. He insisted on changing the bandages on her leg, saying it was nothing he couldn't do himself. While it was true, he wanted to do it because he wanted to talk to her privately. He cast Emily a glance and she rolled her eyes.

"I know, I know…"

"You don't know, Em."

"Yes I do. We talked about it in the barn," Emily groaned. She pulled her leg away and finished the bandaging herself. "I'm sorry, okay. I'll never do it again."

"No, you won't," Kevin shook his head. He got to his feet and held out his hand, "But in case you do, you'll have to be ready for it. So c'mon, we're training."

"What? But we…"

"Punishment. Get up."

"You should rest," Emily crossed her arms over her chest, refusing to get up to her feet. Kevin grabbed her, lifting her up. "But the scar on your chest…"

"Will be fine," Kevin assured her. When Emily still refused to move he threw her over his shoulder and walked with her outside. He received a bunch of curious stares from the others, but ignored them.

When they were gone, Jayden got up. He knew this group was mad at him, and he knew the only reason Kevin and Emily were talking to him like nothing had happened was because they believed nothing had happened. As Jayden tried to leave the room, thinking it was for the best, Mia cleared her throat.

"We're home, so talk."

"This isn't the time, Mia…"

"You hit me," Mia growled. "I deserve an explanation."

"You hit her?" Ji asked, looking to his son. Jayden sighed and nodded his head, knowing he couldn't escape the lie. He hadn't left a mark on Mia's face, but Mia wasn't known for lying and her face had still been red when Antonio and Mike rescued her. Though he and Ji were close, there was really no way Ji could believe Jayden over Mia. "Jayden…"

"It was wrong, I know…"

"Come with me, Jayden," Ji sighed as he got up, "You know what I want…"

"No," Mike shook his head. "Instead of this locked away and stealing all his stuff crap, I want something else. Jayden's supposed to be our leader. No matter what he's going through, he's supposed to set an example. It's a tough job, I get it, and sometimes he'll snap, but hitting Mia is inexcusable."

"You did it," Jayden muttered.

"That's why I know it's inexcusable," Mike nodded. "So, from now until whenever Jayden decides to tell us what's bothering him, I don't want him to be leader."

"Michael…" Ji sighed but Mike shook his head.

"No. I'd rather follow Kevin, or Mia, or Emily. Hell, if Terran could go into battle, I'd rather follow him. You've lost all my respect, dude, and you can't ask me to follow someone I don't respect or trust."

"I can't," Jayden lowered his head and then he looked to Ji, "Mike's right. I'm stepping down."

"You don't have to," Antonio looked Jayden in the eye, "Just tell us what's wrong! You can fix this, Jay…"

"No," Jayden shook his head. "I can't. I'm sorry, but now is not the time to talk."

"I just have one question," Mia said. She glared at Jayden, almost demanding he tell the truth, "Are you red Ranger?"

"I'm wearing the suit, aren't I?" he answered her question with a question, which spoke volumes. Before anyone could ask anything else he turned away and walked out, announcing he would be spending the next few days in the study to punish himself for what he had done. Antonio wanted to go after him but Ji shook his head.

"Give him some space," he said. "Jayden will only open up when he's ready."

-Samurai-

Serena had been right when she told James she had a good feeling. At her appointment, the doctor got her sitting up on the table with her legs hanging off the sides and with his and James' help, Serena found herself up on her feet for the first time in weeks.

She had had feeling in her legs for a few days now but she hadn't really tried walking. She knew it was still impossible without assistance, but she seemed to be getting somewhere with the doctor's help. It took a lot of help and training, but by the end of her appointment, with some support, she managed to move one leg and take an aided step forward. The doctor left to record her progress, amazed by what she was achieving, and Serena was back on the table, lying down, hiding her face in her hands as she cried in joy.

"You are amazing," James whispered to her. Finally, the doctor came back into the room, carrying what appeared to be leg braces and a set of crutches.

"The chair should be your go to for mobility," the doctor told Serena, "but it seems we've hit a breakthrough and we should take advantage of that. For a little bit every day, I would recommend you try walking around in these."

The doctor showed James and Serena how the braces and crutches worked, and explained how they would help Serena's recovery. When that was done he took them off, which Serena didn't seem too happy about. James took all the equipment and thanked the doctor. Serena was over the moon and choking on her tears. The doctor nodded his head, helped Serena back into her chair and then James, Serena, and Terran were off for home.

As James pulled into the Shiba House, he saw Kevin and Emily training on the mats and he looked to Serena.

"I want to walk out," Serena whispered as the car came to a stop. James nodded his head. Kevin and Emily had seen him and Serena pull in, but they knew it would take a minute for them to get out of the car so they continued to train. James took advantage of their lack of attention to get Serena into her braces and up on her feet. He stuck close to her worried she would take a misstep and fall right over.

"Guys," he called, grabbing Emily's and Kevin's attention once again. Kevin's jaw dropped instantly. Emily, just like Serena, burst into tears. She raced over to her sister, stopping just short of running right into her.

"You're… you're…"

"Wanna walk inside with me?" Serena asked with a big smile. "You can tell me all about Monalua Island after we show the others."

Emily nodded her head, unsure of what to say or even how to say it. She just held her sister's arm, keeping a strong hold on Serena just in case she slipped as they walked side by side. Serena needed a little help getting up the stairs. She didn't have much control over her legs yet and they were weak from the lack of activity, but after a little effort she managed to get up.

"Serena…"

"I know, I'm amazing," Serena grinned playfully, "You go inside first, alright, squirt. I wanna see if I can do this by myself."

Emily nodded, but before walking ahead she grabbed the door and held it open, knowing Serena would have a difficult time reaching out to push the button on her own. The only reason she was standing upright was because of all the strength in her arms. She couldn't lift one up to push a button. When Serena was inside, Emily raced to the common room and jumped into Mike's arms, nearly bowling him over. Fortunately he caught her and had enough balance to stay on his own feet. He held her tight in his arms and heard her sobs. Thinking something had happened with Kevin, Mike was about to ask when he saw someone walking across the entrance to the common room.

"Holy shit…" Antonio's jaw dropped when he saw it was Serena. She smiled brightly, a little embarrassed by all the attention, but at the same time she loved it.

"So, I went to physio today."

"You can walk?" Mia asked.

James then came in behind Serena, pushing the wheelchair with Terran sitting in the seat. Kevin was right behind them. He placed the chair behind Serena and lifted Terran out. He passed the young boy to his aunt and then helped Serena back into the chair.

"It's just for exercise," Serena explained, "The doctor says I've made a breakthrough and we should take advantage. Hopefully my recovery keeps up like this."

"All those symbols you used on your legs must be helping," James chuckled and he gave Serena a pat on the shoulder. Every morning, despite nothing ever coming of it, Serena would use a symbol (without her Samuraizer, it was part of her training) to see if she could heal her legs.

"We can only hope so, right?"

"We can do better than that," James promised her. "I'll make sure you exercise every day. I'll come home with you after school; we'll get you into the braces and up on your feet. You'll be good as new in no time."

Serena gave him a kiss. She smirked and then she looked to Mike and Emily, "Can I talk to you two?"

"Yeah."

"Yes," Emily said eagerly and caught the look Kevin was giving her. She knew he wanted her back outside for more training, but she had had enough, and she was certain he would tell Serena what she had done anyways. She could use a break. She quickly stuck her tongue out and pushed Serena down the hall, "C'mon, your bedroom's got the most privacy."

"This might give you a chance to talk with Kevin," Mike said to Mia and he tapped his cheek gently, "He'll hear about it eventually."

"Yeah," Mia nodded. Kevin gave Mike a strange look.

"Why, what happened?"

Mia tapped his cushion, inviting him to sit. James could tell they needed privacy, but now he had nothing to do.

"Who do I talk to?"

"Mike's got a TV and game console in his room," Antonio smirked. "If he's going to be in Serena's room, we can play it."

"Does he have a football game?"

"Probably somewhere," Antonio nodded. He pulled on James' arm, "Let's go see if we can find one."

-Samurai-

In her bedroom, Serena rubbed her thighs with her hands. This wasn't going to be an easy conversation for her to have, especially with Mike, but it was something she needed to talk about.

"James and I are getting married."

"We know," Mike chuckled and he bounced Terran on his lap, "That massive rock on your finger kind of announces it."

"James is going to be Terran's step-father," Serena said, "And with Dekker out of the picture forever, and no real father on Terran's birth certificate…"

Mike's face fell. Emily reached out and took his hand. She looked to Serena with a smile.

"Terran deserves it," she said, "and James is great with him."

Serena nodded and looked back at Mike, "I know I told you you could play the father role in his life, and I don't want to take that away from you, or from Terran. You're amazing with him, Mike, but you're going to have your own family one day anyways."

"So you… you…"

"I want James to adopt Terran," Serena nodded. "I want James to be the father."

"Have you told him yet?" Mike asked and he hugged Terran a little tighter. He didn't want to lose him. Terran wasn't his son, that was a fact. He was just Uncle Mike, but up until this moment, he had been the father figure in Terran's short life.

Serena shook her head, "I've been thinking about this since he proposed and it feels right. Really right. But I haven't told him. I won't tell him anything until we've reached a compromise."

Emily gently squeezed Mike's hand, "Serena is Terran's mother," she told him. "You're his uncle. She's not taking him away from you."

"Never," Serena promised Mike. "For now, we'll still be living in the Shiba House and Terran will be living with me here, even when James is at home. Nothing will have changed. You'll still babysit when I'm at school, you'll babysit when I have date nights, and you'll be as important as you were before you're just… I'm asking you step back a bit."

"What if… what if you and James break up?"

"What if you and Emily break up?" Serena asked.

Mike shook his head, "It won't change how I feel about Terran."

"And it won't change for James, either."

"But…"

"Mike," Emily wrapped her arm around him and hugged him warmly, "Terran's going to grow up. One day he's going to ask why his father isn't his father. He's going to wonder why his uncle Mike is his dad and not his step-father. I'm confused now, and I know what I'm talking about."

Emily lifted Terran into her own arms, "C'mon, Mike, doesn't this sweet little boy deserve a proper family? A mommy and daddy who love him and an aunt and uncle who'll love him more and they'll spoil him with candy and presents when he comes to visit?"

"You're not going to do that annoying thing where you load him up on sugar right before I take him back home, are you?" Serena groaned.

"Grandma and grandpa did it to mom and dad when they babysat me."

Mike sighed and looked to Terran. He did want the boy to have a good family, and he couldn't deny the fact that James was amazing with him, and a lot more ready to handle the responsibilities of being a true father.

"Alright," Mike nodded his head, "It makes sense."

"For real?" Serena asked and a smile lit up her face. Mike grinned.

"For real. You're right, one day I'll have my own family to focus on," he wrapped his arms tightly around Emily, "We'll have a family."

"Oh god…" Serena closed her eyes and shook her head as an image she did not want to see came up, "Oh no."

"Aw, c'mon, Serena. You'll love your little nieces and nephews," Mike teased her. "They'll be the perfect blend of me and your sweet, little, innocent, baby sister."

"Make him stop!" Serena pressed her hands to her ears, trying to drown him out. Emily chuckled, and Terran was also getting a good laugh out of it.

"Sorry, Serena, but I do have to live with the image of you and Dekker for the rest of my life," Emily gave Terran a hug, "Though that combination is really cute, it's not something I want to see happen again."

"And just think," Mike continued to tease Serena, "Unlike you, not everyone makes a baby on the first try."

"Shut up, Michael! Lalalala…"

"We might have to work at it for months before we make one. And then, well, we might not be happy with just one. We might need to spread the love around a little more."

"LALALALA…"

"And then, one day, you're going to hold your niece or nephew in your arms and you'll know that that child, the little person you'll be carrying, will have been made by me and Emily."

Serena lowered her head in defeat, "I am scarred."

Mike smiled. He got up and gave Serena a pat on the shoulder, "Serves you right for taking Terran away from me."

"He's still your nephew!" Serena cried but Mike had already left the room. She groaned and then heard Emily chuckling, "What?"

"You know Mike and I have already had sex, right?"

"Not in my mind you haven't," Serena shook her head and then she started to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Chastity belts. Ji's got to have one around here somewhere."

As Serena left, Emily looked down at Terran, "And just think how crazy your mommy will be when I actually do get pregnant and have a baby. Maybe I should consider adoption. That way she can continue to deny the fact that your Uncle Mike and I love each other."

Terran just babbled. Emily smiled and hugged him.

"You're right. You'll have a cousin either way. C'mon, let's try to avoid Kevin. He's still mad at me for attacking Dayu."


	142. Confrontations

Serena hated week days. Week days were days she actually had to get out of bed early and go to school. Week days were days where she was sometimes already up when Terran demanded her attention in the morning. Week days were days where the Rangers were still in bed, or just waking up as she walked to the door to leave.

Week days sucked. This one was no different.

It was lunch time. James had football practice with his students over lunch so Serena was left to fend for herself. She spent the first part of her lunch with some of the other gym teachers, but eventually they got up and left. They, like James, had other things to do.

Serena prepared herself for this in advance. She still had her homework club and recently she had seen a few kids struggling with biology. She had borrowed a textbook from the science lab and was skimming through it, seeing if there was anything she could help with.

"I hear James proposed," someone sat down beside her. Serena turned to see Marissa. She smiled and nodded her head. She showed Marissa the ring.

"Yeah, he did…"

"You know it's a sympathy engagement, right?" Marissa scoffed. "He only proposed because you're in that chair."

Serena furrowed her brow, "Why do you say that?"

The bell rang, marking the end of the lunch period and students and teachers began to leave the cafeteria. Marissa, however, didn't move an inch.

"Uh…"

"Planning time," Marissa quickly explained. "I have the whole period to myself."

"That's great," Serena started for the doors, "I've got to go…"

Marissa grabbed the back of Serena's chair and pulled her back, "I think the students will be fine for five minutes. They were fine before you got here anyways. I want to talk to you."

"If you're going to tell me more lies about James…"

"Lies? You think I'm telling lies?" Marissa gave Serena a sympathetic smile and took her hand, "I'm here to help you. You see, James and I used to date. Actually, we were pretty serious."

"You… you used to date James?" Serena asked, a little surprised by this. She knew she wasn't the first girl to date James, but she had no idea she was working with one of James' ex-girlfriends. A little heads up would have been nice.

"Yeah, and he broke up with me. I still don't even know why," Marissa rolled her eyes.

"Well, you can't marry everyone you date," Serena said and tried to leave again. Marissa pulled her back.

"Look, I just want to give you a fair warning, this engagement thing you think you have, it's not going to work out. James was too good for you before whatever freak accident took away your legs. Now, he just feels bad for you. You're a single mother in a wheelchair. What idiot would want to ever date you? James, bless his heart, is too good a man to see that happen."

"You know I'm going to walk again, right?" Serena asked. Marissa just scoffed.

"Hope is just an illusion…"

"What? I'm serious, I…"

"Come with me," Marissa grabbed the chair and started to push Serena around. She walked Serena to the elevators and they both got inside. Marissa pushed the button for the second floor and Serena felt the elevator starting to lift.

"Where are we going?" Serena asked.

"You were in a car accident, right?" Marissa asked. Serena nodded her head. It was the excuse she was using in the school to explain her situation. She couldn't tell everyone she had been fighting a Nighlok. It would raise too many questions. "I've seen plenty of people paralysed from car accidents. They all think they're going to recover, but you know what happens? They never do."

"People do, though…"

"You're not going to be that lucky," Marissa shook her head. The elevator reached the second floor and the doors opened. Marissa pushed Serena out of the elevator and started to walk her through the halls. "You know, Serena, you come in here, thinking you're the world's solution to violence and poor education, and yet since you've been here, life has been a living hell…"

"I know you're not a fan of what I do with the students," Serena looked over her shoulder, "but everyone else…"

"This school wasn't made for you. You don't fit in, especially now that you're crippled…"

"HEY!" Serena pulled the brakes, stopping dead in her tracks. Marissa had no warning of the stop and bumped into the back of the chair, "That's offensive!" Serena screeched.

"Oh, boo hoo," Marissa rolled her eyes, "Cry me a river, blondy. No one cares; at least, no one did until you came around."

Marissa unlocked the brakes and started pushing Serena again until they reached the stairs. Serena saw she was headed right for them and put the brakes on again.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"Break up with James."

"What? No!" Serena shook her head, "Why the hell would I…?"

"What good are you to him, Serena? You're already in this chair," Marissa unlocked the brakes again, "Don't worry, I'm not going to push you down. I just wanted to show you just how weak you actually are."

"Why?" Serena looked at the stairs.

"You love my ex, right?"

"We're getting married."

"He deserves so much better," Marissa whispered in Serena's ear. "He deserves a wife who can take care of him."

"But…"

"All it takes, Serena, is one more accident. One teeny, tiny mistake. A push in the wrong direction, or something else awful. Right now, if something were to happen and you fell down the stairs, all odds of you recovering would go down the drain. You would be forced to rely on James for the rest of your life. How is that taking care of your husband? How can you call yourself Mrs. Smith if James is too busy waiting on you, hand and foot? He wouldn't be your partner. He would be your…"

"Move me away from the stairs and we won't have an accident," Serena grabbed her wheels and tried to roll back, but Marissa was standing in the way.

"Break up with James."

"You still love him, don't you?"

Marissa rolled her eyes, "What does it matter to you?"

"He's my fiancé. If you have feelings for him, I'm sorry, but he's chosen me. I have tried to push him away, but he doesn't want to leave. I love him and he loves me, no matter what state I'm in. You had your chance and missed it, but maybe…"

"Rot in hell, cripple," Marissa turned away from Serena and started to walk off. Serena breathed a sigh of relief and started moving away from the top of the stairs. She hadn't wanted to admit it to Marissa, but she had been terrified. She had hated stairs since day one, especially when she looked down and realized just how powerless she was should a single, little accident happen.

-Samurai-

"… Four hundred and ninety-nine … five hundred. There, easy enough."

Emily collapsed onto the mat, swearing to never again seek revenge for her sister. Her arms hurt, her whole body hurt. When Kevin said he had a special day of training lined up for her, she had no idea he meant this. Training had been her punishment since she had come back from the island. She had foolishly taken on Dayu, putting her own life and Kevin's life at risk, despite already being warned of the consequences. Kevin wanted to make sure that would never happen again.

"You're torturing me," Emily muttered. Kevin dropped the towel next to her and set down a cold water bottle.

"And I haven't even told Serena yet," he smirked. Emily looked up at him, horrified.

"But you said…"

"Relax, Em, I got to thinking and it wouldn't be good for Serena."

"It…"

"She's working so hard at recovering. I think she's really starting to find a balance between helping us and helping herself. I don't need to freak her out with your silly antics. You've learned your lesson, right?"

"What about the others?" Emily asked. They hadn't yet told the other of their fight with Dayu. As far as the Samurai were concerned, Emily and Kevin were spending a little time together training because Emily wanted to be ready to face Dayu next time she showed up. It wasn't a lie. Emily did want to kick Dayu's ass and Kevin would be able to help her. He had promised he would by training her and punishing.

"They don't have to know either," Kevin sat down beside Emily, "As long as you swear to think before you fight."

"I swear," Emily rolled onto her back and crossed her heart with her finger. Kevin smiled and he helped her up to her feet. At that very moment, Jayden walked out of the house, dressed for training. Emily saw Kevin's mood sour instantly.

Word of what Jayden had done had spread through the entire Shiba House. He hadn't been the first Samurai to snap and attack another, but he had been the leader and it had been his job to set an example.

He admitted to his mistake, but he wouldn't admit to why it had happened. All he would say was that he was under a lot of pressure and that it was finally starting to get to him. Whenever the Rangers asked him to share and they offered to help, Jayden pushed them away, telling them this wasn't their problem.

Kevin disagreed wholeheartedly. This was his problem. Anytime anyone put their hands on his fiancée, it was his problem. Anytime someone threatened his team, even another teammate, it was his problem. This whole affair was his problem but Jayden was refusing to open up. Ji seemed to be leaving the matter alone, which made Kevin suspect he knew more than he was letting on, and Antonio seemed to know no more than the others, which meant Jayden was pushing him away too.

"Emily, go inside and shower," Kevin told her as he guided her off the mat. Emily did as she was told, fearing Kevin would give her more push-ups if she didn't. As Kevin cleared off the training mat for Jayden (it was all he would do the red Ranger), Jayden sighed.

"I know you're mad at me," he said to Kevin, "and I understand. You have every right to be."

"Finally, something we agree on," Kevin nodded.

"But I'm not going to hurt you," Jayden dragged a dummy onto the mat.

"You say that after striking Mia across the face."

"I'm sorry, Kevin. I snapped, I know I did…"

"And instead of asking for help, you're pushing us away," Kevin shook his head. "You're always doing this, Jay, and it's really starting to freak us all out."

"Your safety is…"

"Your top concern, blah, blah, blah," Kevin rolled his eyes, "Well, I'm in charge now, so you can just forget about us and our safety. Do whatever you want to do. Just make sure you're not hitting anybody…"

"You punched Emily. Who are you to judge?" Jayden muttered and the moment the words passed his lips he knew he was only making his situation worse.

"Yeah, I punched Emily," Kevin nodded his head, "and Mike slapped Mia. The difference between us and you, was that after that happened, we admitted to our mistakes and we asked for help."

"Mike got help, and look how that worked out for him. A few months later…"

"Why don't you stop focusing on the mistakes your team made, and start looking at your own?" Kevin suggested. "I used to trust you, Jayden. I used to respect you."

"I'm sorry, Kevin."

"You can talk to me, you know," Kevin said. "I'm mad, but I'll listen."

"Now's not the time."

"When is the time?" Kevin groaned. Jayden was about to say something but Kevin shook his head and waved his hand dismissively. "Never mind. I don't want to hear it."

Kevin gathered up his things and walked inside, "I hope, whatever's going on, it's worth it, Jay. I really do. When you do decide to talk to us, it better be something really big that explains why you're being a dick."


	143. Mirror, Mirror

Serena felt uneasy for the rest of the day. She had no idea why Marissa's actions had such a huge effect on her. She thought maybe it was the stares Marissa gave her after the incident, or the way Marissa had actually made her feel powerless. All it took was one little accident and Serena's hopes of walking again would go down the toilet.

James had a quick meeting with the football team after school, which Serena didn't mind because she had her homework club. Unfortunately, that ended early. Though the workload was getting more and more intense now that the end of the school year was right around the corner, the weather was also beautiful. Less and less students wanted to stay cooped up inside and preferred to get their homework done quickly so they could hang out with their friends.

Serena waited for James by the back of the school. The main entrance wasn't accessible for her, so until she could learn to walk again, she had to stick with the one door at the very back of the school. James' meeting was due to end soon and then he would drive her home and they would work on some of her exercises. After her run-in with Marissa, Serena needed to feel strong again. She needed to remind herself that would walk again and this was only temporary.

"You know what's really funny?" Marissa's voice echoed in the hallway. Serena turned around to see her walking over with a malicious smirk on her face. She was up to something. Marissa walked around Serena and ripped the backpack off the back of her chair, "I have no idea what a cripple carries around with her."

"Hey!" Serena tried to reach for her bag but Marissa held it up high, higher than Serena could reach. "Give it back! What's your problem?"

"Someone's got to look out for James," Marissa took a few steps away from Serena and reached into the backpack. She pulled out Serena's phone, "Ooh, text messages are always fun to look at. Who are you talking to?"

"Marissa, seriously…"

"You message Mike a lot," Marissa scrolled through the messages, "And you talk a lot about a guy named Terran…"

"My son," Serena growled. She reached for the phone again but Marissa held it up high. "Terran is my son. Mike is my brother in-law. He and my sister babysit."

Marissa rolled her eyes, "And James knows you have a son?"

"Of course he does…"

"Wow," Marissa shook her head and tossed the phone over to Serena, "so you're a pain in the ass, you're a cripple, you're a bitch, and you're making James take care of someone else's baby?"

"I…"

"You disgust me," Marissa rolled her eyes and walked behind Serena. She grabbed the chair and started to push it away from the door, "You're on another power high, Serena. Do I need to remind you what position you're in? You're weak. You're practically spineless."

Marissa walked Serena over to another set of doors that led to outside. Unfortunately, the doors led to a set of stairs. Marissa walked Serena right over to the stairs, stopping when Serena's front wheels hovered over the first drop.

Serena started to tremble right away. All it took now was Marissa letting go, or even a sudden jerk, and Serena could wish her old life goodbye. She felt powerless and helpless and pathetic. Marissa suddenly jerked the chair, pretending to let go. Serena shrieked and Marissa laughed. She pulled the chair away from the stairs and turned Serena around.

"You're not good enough for him," Marissa whispered. She shoved Serena's bag into her chest and then hopped down the stairs. Serena couldn't get back inside the school and she couldn't roll down the stairs without getting hurt.

With a passion, she loathed Marissa. Still shaken, she fumbled for her phone. James would be looking for her and he would never guess she was out here. He picked up when she called and rushed out to find her.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked, meeting her outside. He could tell she was upset. He knelt down before her, "Serena?"

"Nothing," Serena shook her head, "I just needed from fresh air and the door closed behind me."

"Are you sure?" James asked. He could see her hands were shaking and she had a look on her face that she always had on when something happened to upset her, but Serena nodded her head to confirm nothing had happened, so he smiled, "Well, we're going home, we'll do your exercises and whatever's bothering you, or not bothering you, maybe that'll help you forget."

Serena nodded her head. She got the feeling he knew she was lying, but she hoped she could push that all day and do exactly what James proposed she did: forget. Marissa had given her a rough day and she just wanted to move on.

But then James started doing things for her. He opened doors, he helped her into the car, he put her wheelchair in the back seat, and he was the one who drove home. Serena looked down at her legs. She was going to recover, she knew she was, but until she did she was dependant on James. He did have to take care of her in ways he didn't have to care for her when they first met. She had tried to chase him away and knew he was ready for this challenge, even if it was for life, but she still felt guilty. She glanced over to him and suddenly she felt like she was at the top of the stairs again. She felt like she was relying completely on someone else and she was powerless to stop whatever was going to happen. And though her recovery was moving along quickly, finally, all it took was one accident, and this would be his chore for the rest of his life.

When James pulled into the driveway he got out of the car first, as he always did now that she couldn't walk. He pulled her chair out of the back of the car and set it up for her beside her seat. As he started to help her into it, Serena pushed him away. She whistled, hoping Scruffy could somehow get outside and he did. He raced over to great Serena, and she used him to get into the chair. James looked at her curiously, but he didn't ask. Serena had always been very independent and he assumed, knowing she was going to work on walking in a few minutes, she wanted to take care of herself.

"I love you," he leaned down and kissed her. Serena smiled a bit, but she still had the stairs in her mind.

She got into the Shiba House on her own, thanks to the ramps Ji, Jayden, and Antonio had set up. She went to her room and James followed. She got onto her bed and James helped her with the braces. They gave her legs a little extra strength to hold up her weight and helped her guide her feet where she wanted them to go. She hoped that soon she wouldn't need them anymore. Just the crutches, if anything.

"Go to the dojo," Serena told James as she pulled herself up and leaned on the crutches. She wiggled her toes to make sure there was still some feeling. James nodded his head and did as he was told. Scruffy, ever so loyal, stuck by Serena's side.

When James was gone, Serena took a big breath. Just when she was about to go Emily walked in with Terran.

"I thought I heard you come home," Emily said with a big smile on her face. Serena's guilt suddenly doubled. She knew Marissa had only intended for her to feel badly about her relationship with James, but Serena was so dependent on her sister, and Emily had sacrificed so much for her. She began to shake again and nearly lost her balance. Fortunately, Emily was quick enough to catch her on time, even while holding Terran. She lowered Serena down onto the bed. "You could walk fine yesterday."

Serena pounded her fists into her thighs, "It's these stupid legs."

"Terran's thinking the same thing," Emily chuckled and held her nephew up. Terran stood on Emily's lap and pressed his feet into her legs. She could feel the pressure and she knew he was practicing, but he was nowhere near ready to support himself.

"Now I'm being compared to my baby?"

"Only because Terran's going to walk one day and you are too," Emily assured Serena. "You're going to help him take his first steps, I know you are."

"What if something happens?" Serena asked and Emily was quick to shake her head.

"Nothing's going to happen."

"What if I'm crippled my whole life?"

Emily glared at Serena, "Don't say that! You're going to walk again!"

"But what if I don't?"

"Then you don't," Emily shrugged, "You'll learn to live like this. You're already doing amazing!"

"Yeah," Serena lowered her head, "I'm doing amazing at relying on people. I don't even get out of bed in the morning unless James or Scruffy are around."

"So? Mike can't get out of bed unless I drag him out."

"That's different, Emy…"

"It's no different," Emily shook her head. She wrapped one arm around Serena, "You were so happy before. You were proud you were walking, confident things could only get better. You were even going to talk to James about Terran today. I know you were excited about that."

"Things changed."

"What happened at school?" Emily asked. Serena looked to her little sister and then shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Liar. People are staring, aren't they?"

"No more than usual."

"People are talking about you? There was a kid in a wheelchair at school. He got picked on just like me. Kids don't understand, they can be mean. You told me that, remember?"

"The students are fine," Serena frowned.

Emily took a deep breath, "What about the teachers? I remember you said some of them were ignorant. Are they being mean?"

"Drop it, Emy."

"You can talk to me," Emily took Serena's hand, "You know I went through it too, remember?"

"Apparently, James' ex-girlfriend works at the school."

"You didn't know?"

Serena shook her head, "That doesn't bother me," she looked down at her legs and sighed. This wasn't easy but she had seen what happened to Emily when she tried to bottle up her problems as a child. It had only been for a couple of months when the bullying first started, but Emily had changed quite a bit. At first, Serena and her parents just thought Emily was getting used to school. It was a big change for such a young kid and not everyone was ready to be put into a classroom full of kids. Eventually, Emily told Serena the kids were being mean, and ever since, Serena had taken over from there. "Emy, she's a mean girl."

"What is she saying?"

"She's not saying anything I believe," Serena whispered, "Well… not much. It's what she's doing, how she's making me feel. At lunch she took me upstairs and held me in front of the stairs, telling me all it took was one little accident and I would be stuck like this forever."

"Serena…"

"Then, after school I was waiting for James, she did it again."

"That's bullying," Emily wrapped her arms around Serena, forcing Terran into the hug as well. Serena rested her head on Emily's shoulder.

"She says I'm powerless…"

"She's powerless," Emily looked up at Serena, "You're her mirror. You told me that about Abby, remember? She's pushing you around and she's trying to make you feel the same way she does. The image is only reflected by the mirror. You don't have to be her reflection."

Serena nodded her head but Emily wasn't done. She took her sister's hand and squeezed it, "You're still powerful. You learned how to fight _in a wheelchair_! You kicked Mike's butt!"

Serena chuckled and rolled her eyes, "Mike's nothing."

"So is James' ex. She doesn't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know you, right?"

"Right."

"So then what right does she had to tell you who you are and how you should feel? The only person she can talk about is herself."

"I…"

Emily stood up, "Get up."

"What?"

"Stand up," Emily said. She shifted Terran's weight into one arm and held out her hand for her sister. Serena took Emily's hand and slowly got up to her feet. She leaned on Emily, using her as her crutch, but she was standing up. Emily looked up at Serena with a smile. Serena smiled back.

"Thank you."

"For what?" Emily asked. She reached for Serena's crutches and gave them to her sister, "I'm just your echo. You're doing everything. You're even going to stand up to James' ex. She thinks she has power over you but she's wrong. You're the mirror, cast a different reflection."

Emily stepped away from Serena and smiled. Then she set Terran down on the floor and held him up so his feet were flat. Terran had very little control over his legs and couldn't even walk with help, but he loved being bounced down the hallway.

"C'mon, let's go find daddy and tell him it's a boy," Emily smiled. She glanced over to Serena and spoke through Terran, "I'll race you, mommy. First one to daddy gets to tell him."

Serena laughed as Emily and Terran raced off down the hallway. She followed them slowly, shaking her head.

"I thought I still had a few more months before I was chasing my son around the house."

"Not with me around!" Emily called from down the hall, "If I get my way, you'll both be running around this place in no time."

Serena smiled brightly, "Challenge accepted."


	144. The Samurai's Keeper

James stared down at the child before him. His child.

It wasn't official yet. Serena had only talked to him a few hours before. There were no paper yet, and they were still far away from changing the birth certificate, but where it did count, in his heart, it was official.

James couldn't believe it. This wasn't how he imagined his first hours as a father. He imagine there being a lot more screaming, a lot more blood, crying, panic, joy, frustration, and he imagined the child was biologically his.

But none of that mattered anymore. James reached down into the crib, gently stroking Terran, his son's, cheek as the little boy slept. James didn't care who Terran belonged to. James didn't care where Terran came from. He loved his little boy and he wanted to be a part of his life, whether it was as step-father or real father, he didn't care.

"My parents are going to freak out," he whispered when he heard the door open. Serena came in with a smile on her face.

"As long as they don't do what my mother did, they'll be fine," Serena rolled her chair up to the side of the crib and looked between the bars. Then she looked up at James and chuckled, "Yeah, I did that a lot too."

"What?"

"Stood over the crib and stared at him. I'll tell you right now, it doesn't get any more believable. I still find myself wondering where he came from and how he got here."

"Well…"

"Shut up," Serena laughed and slapped him playfully, "I know _how_ he got here."

"Just checking."

Serena took James' hand and lowered him down to her level. Her smile slipped a little bit.

"I know you said yes and you're attached and stuff, but before we make it all official I want to talk to you about this Samurai thing."

"Yeah."

"If the Rangers can't beat Xandred…"

"They will," James squeezed Serena's hand, "Everyone knows it, this team is the strongest team."

"Says the people who have only been around for a few generations," Serena nodded. "I know they stand a chance, but this has been a war that's been going on for centuries. Xandred always tries something at the last minute, and no matter how many times the red Ranger tries to seal him away, they've always failed."

"Jayden can do it," James promised Serena, "He's been training night and day with that symbol. If Xandred ever does come back, he'll have no idea what hit him."

Serena just stroked the back of James' hand, "Yeah…," she shook her head, "Look, James, confidence is great, but there is a chance these Rangers can't do it and the power will have to be passed down."

"You're not a Ranger…"

"But Terran's still part of the Earth clan," Serena said, "Emily could still choose him, and the Ape Zord has a pretty big say, and she's been hovering around Terran quite a bit. Earlier, I saw her helping him sit up to play. She did that with Emily when Emily was his age. I just want to warn you James, if things don't go like we expect them, we might have to send Terran off…"

"That doesn't mean I love him any less," James kissed Serena's forehead. "And whether I am his father or not, nothing's going to change what happens to him should the Rangers fail. I hope they don't. I hope Terran never has to live this life, and I hope he never has to watch his cousins or even his brother or sister live this life. But I'm not backing away because of something that might happen. Terran deserves the best."

Serena pushed back her tears and pulled James into a tight hug. She had no idea how her mother broke the news to her father, or how her grandmother had told her grandfather. It was a lot to ask the other parent of a child. Letting them in on the big Samurai secret and telling them the child they have or one day will have will have to endanger themselves trying to protect the world. Many of the young Samurai returned home after temporarily locking Xandred away in the Netherworld, but many also died along the way. Some in their very last battle, where Xandred and the Nighlok did all they could to destroy the Rangers. Some died during the long journey, which in some ways was worse. If their families had someone else eligible to fight, they would be sent to take their place; whether it was a sibling, a cousin, or the previous Ranger coming back for a second turn.

"I hate it too," Serena whispered into James' ear, "I want them to win."

"That's why you want to help, isn't it?" James pulled away slightly and he looked down at Serena's chair, "For Terran?"

"For Terran, for my sister," Serena nodded, "I can't ask anyone else to do this," tears spilled from her eyes, "Emily took my place. I know the ape wanted her, but if I hadn't of gotten sick…"

"Emily wouldn't be here."

Serena nodded, "That hurt so much. Telling her what she would have to do. Reminding her she needed to focus on training because the Nighlok would stop at nothing to kill her. I can't do that again with Terran. I can't train him all his life and watch him throw it away. You shouldn't have to go through that either. James, I would get it if…"

"Stop this," James cupped Serena's face softly in his hands, "For now, we'll focus on what's happening now. We'll stop Xandred, and even if we don't, even if we do have to ask Terran to be the yellow Ranger, he'll have so many people training him. You, Emily, and I'm sure the rest of the team will chip in. We'll tell him our stories, share our secrets. He'll be so prepared that he'll know how to beat the Nighlok, and he'll have done it, before the Nighlok can even think of hurting him."

"Promise?"

"Promise," James nodded. He lifted Serena out of her chair and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down and then he lay with her. They talked about Terran and how they were going to go through with making James his official father until they fell asleep.

Not long after that, the bedroom door quietly slid open. Jayden had been walking by when he overheard their conversation. He was happy for James, but he had heard something that had bothered him.

"_Xandred always tries something at the last minute, and no matter how many times the red Ranger tries to seal him away, they've always failed."_

"_Jayden can do it. He's been training night and day with that symbol. If Xandred ever does come back, he'll have no idea what hit him."_

Serena knew his secret. He had told her a long time ago. James was just as clueless as the rest of the Rangers. He, like all the other Samurai in this house, believed Jayden was the one with all the power.

Jayden couldn't take it anymore. He walked around to Serena's side of the bed and gently shook her awake.

"Serena…"

"Go to bed, Emily."

"It's Jayden."

"You're creepy. Get out."

"It's about the red Ranger."

"Get my chair," Serena groaned and pushed herself up. Jayden pulled the chair over and helped Serena to sit. Slowly, and very quietly, they walked to the common room. Jayden took a seat on his cushion and held his head in his hands. Serena just looked at him.

"I know it's not my place, Jay, but you need to tell them soon."

Jayden shook his head, "It's not the right time…"

"You're losing them," Serena told him. "I'm on cloud nine right now with James, but I do look down. I know the team's falling apart. Kevin's in charge? Mia's kicking your ass? This can't happen, Jay."

"I want them safe."

"So do I," Serena nodded, "but they aren't safe if they don't feel safe, and they aren't going to feel safe if they don't trust you. How can you get them to trust you…?"

"I'm not telling them," Jayden interrupted her. "It's my duty to protect them, and it's my duty to protect her…"

"So do your duty, Jayden."

"I am."

"You're not protecting any of them," Serena shook her head, "The team doesn't trust you as their leader, and I doubt they'll trust you as a teammate. That could cost them their lives, or it could cost you yours. Who will you be protecting if you're dead?"

"As long as Xandred has no idea…"

"Exactly!" Serena nodded her head, "Xandred needs to have no idea. The Nighlok need to have no idea. Your teammates can keep a secret. I've been doing it. I've been keeping a secret from Emily, from James, from every person I care about."

"And look how that's working out…"

"I'm not the one acting all suspicious, Jayden," Serena massaged her temples, "Look, Jay, that fight with Dekker…"

"I rely on them too much," Jayden said. "That'll get them killed. Mia kept jumping in the way. Dekker could have destroyed her then and there."

"Honestly, Jay, I know your secret and I would have done exactly what Mia did. Maybe you're not giving them enough credit."

"I'm no leader," Jayden shook his head. "I've always told them I would never ask them to do anything I wouldn't do myself, but I would never follow someone like me. Someone who lied and deceived them…"

"Jayden…"

Jayden gave his Samuraizer to Serena, "I've failed. I can't do it."

"Jay…"

"I'm going to bed," Jayden got up. Serena tried to call him back but he ignored her. She grabbed his arm but he pulled away. When he was gone, Serena looked down at the Samuraizer and then she set it on the table. As she turned around to leave she noticed a shadow on the wall, a shadow Jayden obviously hadn't seen as he walked out with his eyes on the floor.

"I know you're there," she said and the shadow peeked around the corner. Mia stepped into the doorway, pulling Scruffy by the collar.

"He got into my room," she said, letting go of the dog, "I was just…"

"What did you hear?"

"All of it."

"How much do you know?"

"How much do _you_ know?"

Serena took a deep breath, "Fair question."

"What's going on, Serena?" Mia asked. "Who is Jayden trying to protect?"

"All of you," Serena sighed.

"He's really got a secret? Why can't he tell us?"

"Apparently it's not the right time."

"For what?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why not?"

"It's not my secret to tell."

Mia crossed her arms over her chest, "Obviously it concerns us, Serena. You said it yourself, we should know."

"It's not my secret to tell," Serena repeated. Mia stared her down for a few moments before she sighed.

"Fine. I'm going to bed."

"Mia…"

"I have no idea what's going on in this house anymore, Serena, but I don't like it. We're supposed to be honest with each other."

"I know. I'm not lying to you, Mia…"

"But you have a secret…"

"Jayden's secret…"

"What is it?"

"It's not my secret. Jayden will tell you when he's ready."

"Fine."

"Mia…"

"I said fine."

"Don't tell the others."

"I don't have anything to tell them, Serena," Mia said and then walked off back to her room. Serena leaned back and took a deep breath.

"This house is hell…"


	145. Stand Together

Training for the next few of mornings was… weird.

Jayden wasn't with the Rangers anymore. He lurked around the house and from time to time he bumped into the Samurai, but he was around them even less than Ji, which was saying something. Ji would usually be in the kitchen making meals, or he would supervise training. His door was always open during the day if the Rangers needed him, and tended to his bonsai when there was nothing around the house that needed to be done.

According to Antonio, Jayden just sat in his bed, flipping through a photo album. Antonio had tried to look at the book to see the pictures, hoping it could be a way for Jayden to open up, but anytime he got close Jayden slammed the book shut. A part of Antonio wanted to sneak a peek at the book when Jayden wasn't looking, but he would never do that to his boyfriend. It was an invasion of privacy.

Still, Antonio spent most of his days worrying. He wasn't really sure he even had a boyfriend anymore. Jayden rarely talked to him, they hadn't done anything physical since getting back from Monalua Island. At first he had just though the battle with Dekker had messed Jayden up a bit and the red Ranger would bounce back. He hated how Jayden had struck Mia, but he knew he wasn't the kind of guy who would do it again. Jayden felt terrible for hitting Mia.

"Antonio, I came this close to taking your head off!" Mike cried, snapping Antonio out of his thoughts. Antonio looked to the sword, inches from his neck. He pushed it away with his hand and jumped off the mat.

"I'm done," he said and sat on the bench. Ji took a seat beside him.

"You're not with us this morning."

"What's going on with Jayden, Mentor?" Antonio asked. "Why won't he talk to us? We're his friends. I'm his boyfriend. We're supposed to share."

"He will share when he is ready."

Antonio clenched his fist. Ji was no help. He had been saying that since they got back from the Island, but Jayden hadn't shared anything at all. If anything, he was distancing himself more and more. He had already turned in his Samuraizer, baffling the entire team. There was really no more Jayden could do to pull away except leave, and Antonio didn't want the team to go through that again. He was starting to rethink not looking at the pictures in Jayden's album.

"Mia!" Antonio heard Emily scream and he and Ji looked over to the mat. Serena had been knocked right out of her wheelchair and was coughing loudly. Antonio had no idea why, but he had noticed Mia was a lot more aggressive in training, and for the last few days she had always chosen Serena as her training partner. A little exercise was good for Serena, and training in the wheelchair was beneficial for her and for the team. Every morning, even on school days, she would be up with the Rangers and training just as hard as them. Every morning, Mia would do something to hurt her. It was definitely strange, but the whole house was strange.

"I'm fine, Emily," Serena coughed and pulled herself back into the chair after locking the wheels. Scruffy dutifully raced over to lend Serena a helping hand. By now he knew his job was to help her, and he did so proudly.

"Mia, lay off," Mike shouted, throwing his sword to the ground. He too had noticed Mia seemed to be going out of her way to hurt Serena more than what was required to score a point in training and he was tired of it. He threw his sword, knowing it was either that, or he hit Mia, and with all the trouble going on he doubted that would be a wise move. Kevin gave him a funny look for throwing the sword, but he knew Mike's two options and he was glad it was the sword and not his fiancée.

"She said don't hold back," Mia shrugged. "Besides, if she's going to fight with us, we can't take it easy on her…"

"Then fight me," Emily growled and stood up to Mia, "You went easy on me for practically a year."

"Emily, it's fine," Serena reached out and grabbed her sister's wrist, "Just go shower."

Emily gave Mia a final stare before she started to walk to the house. Just as she was about to leave the mat, Mia spoke up.

"Aren't you going to tell her, Serena?"

"Mia, shut up."

"Tell me what?" Emily asked and moved back to the mat. Everyone was intrigued now. No one knew what was going on with the exchange between Serena and Mia. The two women weren't usually hostile towards each other, and normally when they were they didn't try to drag Emily into their affair. "Is it about the bully?"

Mia was about to say something but Serena cut her off, "Marissa, yeah. James has been with me all week and she doesn't do anything when he's around, but she's still giving me stares and stuff. I was going to talk to you later today, Em. Ask for your advice."

"Okay," Emily frowned but accepted it and disappeared into the house. Mike gave Serena a strange look but didn't bother prying, fearing it would only unleash more chaos. Kevin could tell by the look on Mia's face that there was more, more neither woman seemed to want to talk about, but like Mike he decided to let it drop for now. He could talk with Mia later.

"I'm going inside," Antonio couldn't care less. Jayden was all he was worried about at this point and he had a big decision to make on whether or not he should open up the photo album. Ji gave the girls a warning stare to remind them not to do anything stupid before he too went inside to get started on breakfast.

As soon as all the Samurai were inside, Serena roughly grabbed Mia's arm, yanking her back slightly.

"Don't you ever make me lie to my sister again. Don't you dare try to pull her away from me. I'm hiding Jayden's secret. This doesn't…"

"I gave you an opportunity to tell everyone the truth," Mia ripped her arm away. "You know what's going on, you need to tell us. You said so yourself."

"I would never put you in danger…"

"Is that why you dated Dekker? Is that why you traded Emily and Terran to that Nighlok? Is that why you…?"

"You're not perfect either."

"I don't lie to my team," Mia growled.

"Neither do I."

"Then tell me…"

"It's not my place," Serena shook her head, "Besides, a secret isn't a lie. It's…"

"Is Jayden the red Ranger?"

"Jayden is a red Ranger."

"_A_ red Ranger?" Mia asked curiously, "Like how you're _a _yellow Ranger?"

Serena nodded her head, "Let's just say Jayden's the me of the Fire clan."

"Who is Emily, then?"

Serena grabbed Mia's hand and pulled her down to eye level, "I've made mistakes, Mia. I've been stupid and reckless but… but I've known about Jayden for a while. I hate how he's doing it, but I've come to understand why."

"Serena…"

"Mia, I'm dying to tell you," Serena held Mia's hand gently, "If I could, I would, but I would ruin Jayden if I did. I would tear this team apart. You can't afford that. Jayden and I have both agreed, no matter what happens to him, whether you guys hate him or not, you need to stick together. You need to have someone you can rely on. Jayden's going to tell you, I swear he is and when he does…"

"You were going to pretend you had no idea," Mia said and Serena let out a sigh. She and Mia were so similar sometimes it was like they could read each other's thoughts. At times it was a good thing, and other times it was bad. Serena wasn't so sure about now.

"Yeah," she nodded her head. "I would pretend I didn't know. You guys wouldn't trust Jayden or Ji; you would need someone else to keep an eye on you."

"Why does this have to be a secret?" Mia asked. "Why can't we just…?"

"I don't know," Serena shrugged, "but by the time I found out, I had no choice but to keep it a secret. I was forced into this just like you. I just need you to trust me this time."

"You've made so many mistakes before…"

"And I had a bad feeling every time," Serena nodded. "I hate what's happening, but I don't have that feeling. Not this time. Please, Mia. For the team's sake. If you and I fight, we're just creating more lines."

"Emily and Mike will take your side," Mia sighed, "Kevin will be on mine… Antonio's already slipping away, and Jayden's gone."

"We need to stay the five of us, at least, and we need to support Antonio. We're a strong team. We've always been a team. That's how we come this far."

"It would be pretty embarrassing to come this far and then be defeated by ourselves and our problems," Mia leaned against her sword and sighed, "I guess, if the Nighlok do have to win, I'd rather they earn it by defeating us, not by us falling apart."

"So we're good?"

Mia nodded her head, "If this secret…"

"Put any of you in any danger, I swear, Mia, I'll tell you and everyone else everything," Serena promised.

Mia pulled Serena into a hug and whispered in her ear, "I'm trusting you. If you make a fool out of me…"

"You'll kill me?"

"Worse," Mia gave Serena a pat on the back before pulling away, "Much, much worse."

"That's freaky," Serena said and looked up at Mia, "That actually gave me a chill."

"And that was just the threat."

"Another chill."

"Go to work," Mia shook her head and pointed to the gates as James pulled up in his car. She didn't like this secret, whatever it was, but there was nothing she could do about it and Serena did have a point. The team was falling apart and they needed to do all they could to stick together. If that meant waiting for Jayden to reveal the secret on his own, perhaps it was best to wait. Mia could only hope Serena knew what she was doing. After all, the older Samurai had made some dangerous decisions before, but she had never wanted any harm to come to the Samurai. It was hard to trust Serena was making the right decision this time, but it was obvious she was doing what she thought was best. Serena and Mia were fighting for the same goal, after all.

"New set of bruises," James shook his head and chuckled as he stepped out of the car to greet Serena, "You know, if you keep training like this, people are going to think I beat you."

"My bad!" Mia called as she walked into the house. She was starving.

"Mia still going hard on you, I see," James looked to Serena. The Samurai scoffed.

"Nothing I can't handle," she said as James walked her to the car and then helped her into the passenger seat. When she was in, Serena sent Scruffy back to the house. As usual he had stuck by her until the very last moment. As James loaded the chair into the car she chuckled, "Besides, I'm the Samurai. If there's going to be any domestic violence, it'll be me beating you."

"People don't know you're a Samurai," James said. He got the chair in the car and then got into the driver's seat. "Alright, so if we get all the green lights, we might not be late for first period."

"Principal Stevens must think I'm rubbing off on you."

"Don't worry about what he thinks," James reached over and kissed Serena before he started the car and drove to school.

He pulled up to the back and helped Serena into the chair. She rolled up to the door and let herself into the school while James went to park the car. As soon as she got into the building, Marissa was waiting for her, as always. And, just like she did every morning, Serena tried to ignore her.

Marissa, though, seemed much angrier this morning.

"He's adopting your kid?"

"It's not nice to gossip," Serena said as she rolled passed. James, in his excitement, had shared the news with several of his coworkers, which Serena had expected. He had received plenty of congratulations and warnings about parenthood from other parents on staff, but for the most part everyone was happy for him. It was like he had really just become a father (which he had, just in a less traditional way).

Everyone was happy but Marissa. Serena was sure Marissa still had feelings for James, and now she was the mother of James' child. Serena chuckled at the thought.

"You remind me of someone," she glanced at Marissa. "Terran's biological father's wife."

"Wife?" Marissa seemed to ignore every part of that sentence except that one word. "You conceived with a married man?"

"I didn't know he was married," Serena groaned, realizing she had dug herself a hole.

"You're a cheater," Marissa grin wickedly, "You have no sense of right and wrong."

"Coming from you, that's rich," Serena rolled her eyes and then felt Marissa grab her chair. She knew what was coming next and was powerless to stop it.

"A chair is a part of her personal space," James said from down the hall. After parking the car and using the main doors to get into the building he had come to find Serena. After announcing his engagement to his friends and having Marissa overhear him, he knew she didn't like Serena. He had no idea of the bullying that had taken place, but from what little he had seen in this very moment, he knew it was probably best to keep the two apart. "Let her go."

Marissa did as she was told, "I just thought she could use a break…"

"Not unless you're asked, Marissa. Don't make me hold an after school meeting on disability etiquette."

"Whatever," Marissa rolled her eyes and approached James. She lightly rested her hand on his chest, "You know, a friend and I wanted to go out to lunch today but she cancelled this morning. I don't want to go alone. Wanna come with me?"

"What are you doing?" James removed Marissa's hand from his chest and gave her a gentle shove out of his personal space.

"Inviting you to lunch," Marissa shrugged, "You know, it's been so long since…"

"We broke up, Marissa," James said, "We don't do lunch anymore. Unless, of course, you're extending an invite to Serena. I'd be more than happy to join you if I can take my fiancée along with me."

Serena smirked proudly. She could protect James from virtually anything, even from the wheelchair, but she loved it when he stood up for her and protected her. It made her feel safe, which was rare given her home life full of danger. Normally she was the one ensuring all others were safe.

"On second thought, today's mystery meat sounds like it could be good," Marissa sulked as she walked off. Serena let out a laugh when Marissa was out of ear shot.

"Mystery meat sounds good? Every week I get closer and closer to vegetarianism because of that meat."

"That's Marissa," James sighed, "She and I…"

"Used to date," Serena nodded her head, "I know. Don't worry. I understand I wasn't the only girl."

"You're the only one now," James smiled. "Has she been bothering you?"

"A little bit," Serena admitted. "You can probably tell but she still has a thing for you and hates me. She's like… a less psychotic version of Dayu. Now that I think of it, it's kind of cute."

"Dayu? Cute? You do remember who put you in that chair, right?"

"Ex-girlfriends hate me," Serena huffed.

"Well, I won't speak for Dekker because he is a dick, but the guy you're with now, he's pretty amazing."

Serena looked up at James and cocked an eyebrow, "Really?"

James chuckled and nodded his head, "Oh yeah. If I weren't engaged, and straight, I'd be all over him."

"I'm sure you already are," Serena laughed, taking the lead. James stopped dead in his tracks.

"Hey! Not in the school!"

"You brought it up," Serena started moving faster. James walked again, this time picking up the pace. Serena glanced over her shoulder and saw him chasing her. She looked ahead, trying to weave through the students. Most of them were nice enough to keep a path clear for her. Some of them weren't paying attention though, "This chair needs a horn."

Serena had to slow down to avoid injuring a student and James caught up to her. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders.

"Just ignore Marissa," he whispered. "I don't know what she's been telling you, but I love you, not her."

"I know," Serena turned her head and gave him a kiss. A few students protested in disgust, as they always did when they saw teachers kissing.

"That's disgusting."

"You don't hear me complaining when you're shoving your tongue down your girlfriend's throat," Serena smirked. She then pushed James away, knowing there was only so much PDA a High School could take (though students usually went high over the limits anyways). James gave her another quick kiss before racing to the gym. Most of his students were already on their way and he couldn't afford to be late.


	146. What Once Was

Antonio decided to do it. He was going to look at the pictures.

There was something wrong with Jayden. Whenever there was something bothering the red Ranger he would isolate himself from the team, like he was doing now, but Antonio could usually get something out of him. This time no. Everything he tried made Jayden push him away. Antonio wanted to know what was wrong. He wanted to help his boyfriend before something really bad happened.

He waited for Jayden to be asleep for his nap and then tip toed into the room. Jayden hid the photo album under his bed. Very quietly, Antonio knelt down and reached for book. He took it in his hands and took a deep breath.

Then he stopped. This was crazy. Whatever was in this book and whatever was bothering Jayden was obviously a big deal. It was something Jayden didn't want to talk about right now, most likely because he wasn't ready to talk about it. Prying it out of him, forcing him to share wasn't going to make him ready. If anything, it would push him away further.

Antonio tucked the book back under the bed and instead he crawled into bed with Jayden. The red Ranger stirred at the extra weight and saw Antonio coming over to cuddle him. He tried to move away but Antonio pulled him into his arms and held him warmly.

"Jay, you're my best friend," Antonio whispered, "I know you're not ready to talk, but when you are, I'm ready to listen."

"Thanks," Jayden sighed, "but I can't…"

"I'm here for you Jay, no matter what."

"If you only knew…"

"I'll wait," Antonio promised and he kissed Jayden's forehead, "I'll wait until you're ready to share, but please don't pull away from me."

"It's big, Antonio."

"Whatever it is, we'll face it together."

"You might hate me."

"Never."

"You don't know…"

"I know how I feel, Jayden, and I know you. That's enough."

Jayden sat up and ran his hand down along his face, "It's a lie, Antonio. I'm a lie…"

"No you're not," Antonio shook his head and sat up with Jayden. He wrapped his arms around him, "You're here. You're real. Everything you've done, you've done with good intention because you're a good person."

"Antonio…"

"You're upset because of the fight with Dekker, right? Mia said…"

"Mia has no idea what actually happened."

"Talk to me, Jayden. I'm on your side, remember? I fight for you. I'm here for you…"

"You're the only one."

"Because you're not letting the others in anymore, Jay. I'm not mad, but I understand why the others are."

"Antonio, you're the only one who's truly fighting for me, with me," Jayden took Antonio's hand, "I can't tell you now, but I want to."

"Why can't you tell me?"

"I have to protect her," Jayden whispered. He pulled Antonio into his arms, "If it wasn't so important a secret, I would tell you and everyone else, but I can't."

"Her who?" Antonio asked, "Mia? Emily? Serena?"

Jayden shook his head each time, "Not them."

"Amanda?"

"You haven't met her."

"Will I?"

"One day. Until then, I have to keep her safe. I can't talk about her. She doesn't exist."

"You're confusing me, Jay."

"I know," Jayden nodded. He looked Antonio in the eyes, "I'm asking you a lot, I know I am… but please just… trust me, just this once. I'll never ask you to do anything like this ever again."

"Of course I trust you," Antonio smiled.

Jayden pulled Antonio back into his arms, "It's not that I don't trust you. It's just… I'm scared."

"Don't be. Love me?"

"With all my heart."

Antonio pulled Jayden into a kiss, "As long as it doesn't change that, you have me."

"Nothing ever will," Jayden promised.

-Samurai-

Sticking close to James helped with Serena's Marissa problem. After James stood up for her, Marissa left Serena alone when he was around. There were still stares thrown her way, but Serena could handle a few dirty looks.

It was final period. Serena only needed to survive another class before the end of the day. There was no homework club and James didn't have any after school activities, so she could go straight home with him and she could practice walking again. It was the end of the week too, which also gave her the entire weekend to work on getting her strength up and hopefully when she came back to school on Monday she could be up on her crutches. It was one thing she knew would put Marissa in her place. Most of Marissa's taunts and jabs were about the wheelchair. Most of her power came from the fact that Serena was stuck in the chair.

Like usual, Serena spent her last period with James in gym class. Before the wheelchair, she used to help out, either offering activities the students could do, or by ensuring they were all playing fair. Because gym class was a very physical class, a lot of students thought they could get away with hitting other students. Serena was here to make sure that any contact in the contact sports was safe and necessary for the game. If there was no need to tackle another player, the offending student would be benched.

Even in the chair, Serena still had authority in gym class. It was the only class where her authority hadn't taken a hit, likely because she always had James supporting her. She was the voice, he was the muscle.

This week, Marissa's planning time was at the end of the day. She used that time to pick on Serena, but since Serena had been spending last period with James, Marissa had left her alone.

Today was different though. Marissa walked into the gym with a big, bright smile on her face. She walked over to the other gym teacher on the other side of the room and started talking with her. Serena watched carefully.

Marissa finished talking and the coach blew her whistle. She assembled all the students together and then said something to James. He disagreed at first, but then he gave in. While the coach explained what would be happening for this class, James walked over to Serena.

"Dodge ball," James sighed and he looked at Serena in a chair. She could do many things, but trying to dodge balls that were flying around from all directions was not something he would recommend.

"She's not even trying to hide it anymore," Serena gave Marissa a glare and then looked up at James, "This isn't her classroom, though. She doesn't have a say on what happens."

"The students love this game, especially since you've come around" James sighed. "They like hitting each other with balls. Even the weaker kids seem to enjoy it now because we split the teams up evenly and you enforce they play fair and play together."

"But she…"

"Coach Hall was deciding the lesson today and she agreed. Something fun and easy for the last class on Friday."

Students were already starting to collect the balls and getting into their teams. Just as James said the team were evenly divided. Serena let out a deep sigh. She wouldn't be playing in the game regardless of what happened and she was sure Marissa knew that. In fact, she was sure Marissa had chosen dodge ball just to watch Serena get hit in the face by a stray ball.

"You can teach her a lesson," James shrugged as he took a seat on the bench, "She's got no idea you have sharp reflexes. Odds that you get hit by a stray are one in a million. Why not stay and show her you're not intimidated?"

Serena nodded her head. It sounded like a good idea. And she had played dodge ball in her own school. It hurt being hit in the face, but the pain wasn't unbearable, especially considering all the pain Serena endured training every morning.

The game started and went on most of the period without a hitch. With Serena's encouragement, and the two coaches enforcing the rules, the game was fun and fair. Of course, not everything could be controlled.

Marissa sat on the bench on the opposite side of the room, with the other gym coach. They were chatting; occasionally looking to the game to make sure everything was going smoothly. Marissa purposely wasn't keeping her eyes on the ball, so when one stray flew towards her, she let herself get hit in the arm. Suddenly, she seemed infuriated. She picked up the ball.

"No hitting teachers," she glared at the student trying to apologize and then glanced over to Serena, seeing her nemesis was right in her line of fire. She launched the ball towards the student who hit her, and he had enough common sense to duck before he was smacked in the face. The ball flew over his head and was now flying right for Serena. Just when Marissa thought it would hit, Serena swatted it away. James got up.

"Miss Kingsley, can I see you outside for a minute?" James pointed to the doors. The students started chuckling and teasing the teacher, knowing Coach Smith would give her an earful. Not only had she nearly taken a student's head off, but she had launched a ball right at his fiancée.

Marissa smirked and walked out of the gym with James right behind her. As soon as the doors were closed James started to yell.

"Alright, whatever's going on between you and my fiancée needs to…" James was cut off as Marissa pressed her lips to his, pulling him into a kiss. He tried to pull away, but she deepened the kiss. She put her hand behind his neck, holding him against her lips. After a moment, James finally managed to push her off.

"What the hell?" he shouted, wiping his lips on his arm, "Marissa, I'm engaged! We broke up!"

"Only because we wanted different things," Marissa said, "The passion between us didn't…"

"It's dead, Marissa," James nodded his head. Marissa shook her head. She put her hand on his chest and slowly moved down. James tried to step back, but found himself running into a wall.

"How do you know it's dead. When we broke up…"

"It's in the past, Marissa," James grabbed her wrist before she went too far, "It's gone, Marissa. Find someone else…"

"Three weeks of…"

"It's done, Marissa."

"Does she know?"

"She knows I've been with you," James nodded, "She knows…"

"Does she know?" Marissa asked a little more forcefully. James shook his head. Marissa pulled him into another kiss. "The cabin. The lake. The privacy. We spent three weeks going wild. I still have the pictures."

"That's all you'll have. The pictures and memories," James pushed Marissa away, "I love Serena. I love her more than I've ever loved anyone else before."

"James, she's…"

"Amazing," James grabbed the door to the gym and opened it, "And you're not going to hurt her. We're done, Marissa."

"But…"

"Done," James spun around, letting the door close as he gave Marissa one more warning, "We're through. I don't know why you're suddenly so bothered, and I couldn't give a damn whether or not you like who I'm with. I've made my decision and it's Serena. Learn to live with it, or get the hell out of this school."

"She doesn't deserve you," Marissa shook her head. "You deserve…"

"She makes me happy," James said.

"I made you happy. I can do it again. That cabin…"

"No!" James shouted and the bell rang loudly, marking the end of the day. He pushed her away once again and stormed back into the gym. Though the little window, Marissa watched him walk right over to Serena and he pulled her into a deep kiss. Furious, Marissa couldn't let this go on. She spun around, ready to stomp off when something caught her eye. In the corner, looking right at her, was a security camera. They were everywhere around the school and she knew how to get access to them.

Monday morning, she would get what she wanted.


	147. The Leader

Today was the day, Serena could feel it. While the others were outside training in the yard, Serena was inside in the dojo. Normally she would join them in training, wanting to practice her skills from her chair, but she planned on walking into the school come Monday morning and nothing ever stopped her from reaching her goals.

Since getting the braces for her legs a while back, Serena had been practicing moving around without the chair, and had shown progress every day. She was so close to getting back to normal she couldn't wait anymore. The doctor had told her not to push it, that her body would heal in time, but she didn't care. She wanted to walk again. She wanted to stand tall with the others and make up for handing over Urumasa to Serrator.

She locked the brakes on her chair and slowly pushed herself up onto her feet. She had practiced this last night and she had managed it late into the night. She hoped her body still had the strength now.

James was right beside her, his arms stretched out just in case he needed to catch her. Serena wished he wouldn't stay so close but she understood he had to.

"You can do it," he encouraged her with a big smile. Serena was on her feet without any help or support. Just her, standing like she used to.

"I feel like I haven't walked in months," Serena smirked. She tried to take a step and stumbled over, just like the night before. James caught her, put her back onto her feet and then gave her the crutches.

"Practice with these for a bit," he told her, "Get the feel of moving around."

Serena stared at the crutches, "I don't want them…"

"Serena, they aren't going to make you weak," James said. "Just practice for a bit and when you think you've got it, we'll try again without the crutches. You need to build your strength back up."

"What do you know about strength?" Serena muttered. She pushed the crutches away and tried again.

"I'm a gym teacher," James chuckled as he stuck close to her. He knew that if Serena was determined to walk, she would walk. He just didn't want to see her get hurt. "Alright, compromise, lean on me."

"Fine," Serena grabbed James' arm and put as much weight as she needed on him. With his help, she took a step. It was aided, but it was without the braces and the crutches. James helped her walk from one end of the dojo to the other, and then back again.

"You got this, Serena," he smiled and kissed her, "You're doing great."

He wrapped his arms around her and smiled, "You know, when a kid breaks his leg at school and uses crutches, the other kids always used to take them and swing them around."

"So?"

"So, you're a Samurai," James reached out for a crutch, "You're so determined to get out onto the battle field, I'm sure you would do so in the chair."

"If the Rangers need me…"

"You've learned to fight in the chair, why not learn to fight using the crutches?" James suggested.

Serena smirked. She loved the idea; anything to get up and about and helping the team.

"I'll need stronger legs, first," she told James, "I can't use the crutches to fight if I'm leaning on them."

"I'll help," James said.

-Samurai-

Outside, Kevin was leading the training lesson, as he had been doing for a while now. He wished Jayden would come out and talk and explain his odd behaviour to everyone. Kevin couldn't forgive him for hitting Mia, but he understood the position as leader was extremely stressful. Jayden wasn't the leader of a big company, or leader of a club, he was the leader of a group of young men and women who put their lives in harm's way on a daily basis. His biggest responsibility was making sure they defeat the Nighlok and making sure as many of them as possible came home alive every night. That much pressured for so long was enough to make anyone to crack, but there was more for Jayden. He was also the red Ranger. He was the descendant of the Shiba Clan, the only family who had the power to use the sealing symbol, which was the strongest of all the symbols.

If every once in a while Jayden needed to pull away and let off some steam, Kevin wouldn't mind. He'd encourage it. The responsibility Jayden held was great and he was only human. But eventually he needed to come back. One of the perks of being a leader was that he had a team, and his team was loyal. His team was willing to help. Whenever the burden was too much for him, they were willing to share. What bothered Kevin the most was that Jayden wasn't letting them help.

Just then, the doors to the house opened. Ji walked out, followed by what looked to be a reluctant Jayden. Up until now, Ji hadn't done much to pull Jayden out of his shell, saying the red Ranger needed some time to himself, but it seemed that even now Ji was finding things to be a little ridiculous.

Jayden and Ji hopped on Ji's motorcycle and they drove off.

"You guys trust Jayden, right?" Antonio asked, breaking up the lesson. All eyes turned to him.

"After what he did to Mia…"

"He's not going to do that again," Antonio assured Kevin. "C'mon, you guys, you know Jayden. Something's bothering him and it's never been easy for him to open up."

Mia sighed loudly and then looked to the house. She knew Serena was inside exercising and she also knew Serena knew what Jayden's secret was. It was big, there was no doubt about that, but she knew the secret and she still trusted him. She trusted him enough to live in the same house as him. She trusted him enough to let her baby sister follow him blindly.

"Look, guys," Antonio continued, "whatever secret he's got… that doesn't change him or who he is. He's our friend and leader. He's never wanted any of us to get hurt. Why is that different now?"

"Because he hit…"

"I trust him," Mia interrupted Mike. She let out a doubtful sigh and then shook her head, "I trust him," she said firmly.

"Mia…"

"I'm a big girl, Kevin," Mia gave him a look; "I know what he did. In fact, I was the only one who was there. He was ashamed right when it happened…"

"He should be," Kevin growled.

"We're pushing him away," Mia said. "We want him to open up, but we're shunning him. How is he supposed to talk to us if we turn our backs to him?"

"You want to trust him?" Mike asked.

Mia nodded her head, "I say we give him one more chance. Our parents wouldn't have sent us here if they didn't trust Mentor, and Mentor never would have let us follow Jayden if he didn't trust him."

"Alright," Kevin sighed. He looked to Antonio, who was beaming brightly. Antonio was over the moon. His friends were coming around, hopefully that would help Jayden. Kevin did give Antonio one warning, "But if he does anything…"

"He won't," Antonio assured him, "and if he does, I'll kick his ass, I promise."

-Samurai-

Ji drove Jayden down by the beach, parking his motorcycle under one of the biggest trees in the area. He knew Jayden was going through a rough time and he knew it would happen eventually. Jayden had been asked to do something no one should ever be asked to do. It was only natural that all his responsibilities and secrets start piling up.

"We're safe to talk here," he told his son as Jayden hopped off the bike and walked up to the tree, "What's going on, Jayden. You've shut yourself down for a while now. Normally you would have bounced back by now."

Jayden shrugged his shoulders, "Have I become weaker?"

"The team has become much stronger," Ji answered, "and that has made you stronger."

"I'm at the bottom now," Jayden sighed. He looked up at the tree, "I noticed it a while back. Everyone's gotten so much stronger. They were trying to get up to my level, so we could all fight Dekker."

"And they had reached it…"

"They passed it," Jayden nodded, "I thought that was a good thing. They could protect themselves; they didn't need to rely on me. If something happened…"

"Nothing is going to happen," Ji put his hand on Jayden's shoulder, "You have all come so far…"

"Ji, if I'm the weak link, they're all going to try and protect me. They think I'm some second coming or something. They think it's their duty to sacrifice themselves for me…"

"They protect you, just as you would protect them. Just as they would protect each other," Ji gave Jayden's shoulder a slight squeeze, "I never thought I would say this, Jayden, but you are not special."

"And I don't want to be…"

"You are their leader," Ji turned Jayden around so he could look at the young man. "That is the truth. As the current head of the Shiba Clan…"

"Ji…"

"As the _current_ head of the Shiba Clan, you are the leader of the Samurai, and you are an excellent one at that. You've brought the team this far, and they are strong because of your leadership, your guidance, your patience, and your friendship. I too and terrified of something happening to them, but you need to push those thoughts away."

"I don't want to lie to them, Ji."

"Then we won't. But we can't tell them about her."

"Then what do we say?"

Ji let out a deep breath. Jayden shrugged his hand off his shoulder.

"I don't want to be more than they are. I don't want to be the man…"

"One more lie, Jayden," Ji looked the red Ranger in the eye, "but this will make everything right, for you, for the team, at least until the time is right."

"What is it?" Jayden asked. Ji just picked up his helmet from his bike and he tossed Jayden his.

"Follow my lead."


	148. Lose, Lose

"We're all the man?" Mike asked in disbelief. The team was gathered around the common room. After Jayden and Ji got back from their trip into the city, they had called a meeting, saying they had discovered something important.

Ji nodded his head, "For centuries it was believed the head of the Shiba Clan was the only one with enough power to create the proper sealing symbol. However, as you all know, all attempts have been unsuccessful."

"Seriously?" Serena asked. She looked around the group and she could tell she was the only one who smelt something fishy (and it wasn't because she was sitting next to Antonio). She cast a glance over at Jayden, who quickly and secretly mouthed for her to play along. Serena crossed her arms over her chest, but was now interested in seeing where Ji and Jayden were taking this.

"Yes, Serena, seriously," Ji nodded. "The other Samurai were thought to be vassals. They fought with their lord and they protected their lord until he was ready to use the symbol. I've been doing a little research and looking through Harada's notes, and I've discovered something that may turn the tables in our favour."

"Really?" Emily asked as Ji set a book down on the table. On one page was a large Kanji she couldn't read. She looked over to Jayden.

"It's the sealing symbol," he told the team.

"You must all learn it," Ji looked to each of the Samurai. "You must all practice it, and when the time comes, you must use it together. Combine your symbols into one powerful symbol that will seal Xandred away for good."

"Is this for real?" Kevin looked at the book. Ji nodded his head.

"I suggest you begin by practicing with simple pen and paper."

"We should get started, then," Kevin said as he got up, "The more we practice, the stronger we'll be for when Xandred does make his return."

The other Samurai followed his lead. James heard Terran starting to cry and got up to tend to his son. Serena, Jayden, and Ji were the only ones left in the common room.

"Another lie?" she asked. Ji nodded his head.

"Jayden feels…"

"I don't want them risking their lives for me because they think I'm the one," Jayden said, deciding it was best if he spoke for himself. "Ji's idea is sound. The others are just as important as I am. This will help them realize it without putting her in danger of being discovered."

"I still think the best thing you can do is tell them the truth," Serena sighed. She lifted herself up to her feet using her crutches. She saw a smile on Jayden's and Ji's faces and nodded her head, "but I guess, if anything, this is second best."

"Can I have my Samuraizer back?" Jayden asked. He had handed it over to Serena when he quit the team, and now that Ji had pulled this trick out of his hat, he was feeling more confident leading the Rangers into battle. He never wanted to see them get hurt, especially for him, but at least this way, if they did, he would know they did it because he was their friend. That wasn't a lie.

Serena reached into her pocket, "Don't do anything stupid, Jay," she gave him the Samuraizer, "You wouldn't be where you are now without them."

"I know," Jayden nodded his head and he looked to Ji. The older man smiled.

"Everyone has weakness, Jayden. The team, your team, is not one of them. Stand by them, let them stand by you, and nothing will ever stop you."

"In other words, you're a good leader, Jay," Serena chuckled, "Don't forget it."

Jayden nodded his head and walked to the dojo, where the Samurai were working on the symbol they had been shown. He cleared his throat and stood in the doorway, letting all eyes fall on him.

"I know I've been… useless, lately."

"You're not useless," Mia stood up and walked over to him. She smiled, "Jayden, if you're not ready to talk…"

"I am," Jayden nodded. "I'm sorry, guys. I've been pushing you away because I've been scared I'm too weak. I'm scared I'm putting you all in danger. This red Ranger thing is hard work, and there's a lot you guys don't know. I just needed to clear my head."

"Of what?" Kevin asked and was then nudged in the ribs by Emily, "Ow!"

"Dude, just tell us why you've been freaking out and moping around," Mike said. Jayden took a deep breath.

"I lost my confidence. That fight against Dekker… I couldn't beat him alone. I thought I had gotten weaker."

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe he's just gotten stronger?" Mike asked and he too was nudged by Emily.

Jayden looked at Mia, "When you fought with me, when you protected me… I started to worry. Something could have happened to you and I felt like… I was too weak to help. Like I couldn't pull my weight. Even with this sealing symbol, you guys are all important. You're just as important as me and I don't want to see you getting hurt."

"Jay, I protected you because you're my friend," Mia smiled. "The sealing symbol had nothing, if not very little to do with it. I fought for you just like I would have fought for anyone else here."

"Same for the rest of us," Antonio nodded.

Just then the Gap Sensor sounded and Ji quickly appeared behind Jayden.

"There's a disturbance by the coast line," he said.

The Rangers nodded and looked to Jayden. He held out his Samuraizer.

"I would understand it if you guys didn't…"

"We already agreed to give you a second chance," Kevin said.

Mike gave Jayden a gentle nudge, "Yeah, so don't blow it."

"I won't," Jayden promised. "Thanks, guys."

-Samurai-

The beach being abandoned for the day was a good thing. Serrator finding a place to hide among the rocks was another good thing. But that was where the Rangers' luck ran out. When they found Serrator, he was walking around the rocky beach, as if searching for something. In his hands was Dayu's broken Shamisen. The Rangers didn't need to know what he was up to. As long as he was on earth, they knew he was up to something. As they morphed, Serrator called out his Moogers from the Netherworld, keeping them busy.

The Rangers defeated the Moogers quickly. Even Serrator had noticed they were growing stronger and the Moogers were posing less and less of a threat. However, he sent a second wave of them out to keep the Rangers distracted.

Jayden kept his eye on his team. The Moogers never really bothered him, but he wanted to make sure everything was going well. Just as he expected, everyone was taking care of their own set of Moogers. No one was jumping in harm's way for someone else.

"What?" Jayden heard Emily cry and he turned to her. She was just finishing off a Nighlok and staring up at the rocky cliff above her where Serrator and Dayu stood. Jayden looked up as well. "They're fighting each other!"

Jayden continued to watch Serrator and Dayu from the corner of his eye. Dayu seemed intent on getting her Shamisen back, while Serrator was doing all he could to stop her getting too close. He was attacking her like she was the enemy, which baffled Jayden quite a bit. He thought Serrator and Dayu were working together with Dekker as a powerful trio. Now, they were torn apart, just like the Rangers could have been. It was a good thing for the Samurai, but Jayden had to wonder what this meant exactly.

"Is this all a part of his plan?" Jayden asked himself.

Suddenly, lightning lit up the already bright sky and thunder boomed, causing the ground to tremble slightly. There were a few more bolts of lightning and cracks of thunder before the clouds rolled in, blocking out the sun and plunging the world into darkness. The Moogers scrambled, disappearing back into the Netherworld. Jayden looked up to Serrator and Dayu. Even they had stopped battled.

"_Days shall become night as I escape the Netherworld to face my enemy!"_ a loud voice boomed as rocks began to gather, assembling into a large pile. The cracks between the rocks glowed a bright red.

"Oh no," Jayden stepped back and his team moved with him.

"Is that…?" Mia started but the pile of rocks exploded, releasing a cloud of red smoke. Inside the smoke was a big, horrible figure. The figure stepped out, revealing his face and roared loudly in anger.

"Master Xandred," Jayden finished for Mia.

The clouds in the sky cleared, letting the sun shine through. Antonio had a look at the powerful and frightening Xandred and couldn't help but notice his skin was already drying up and cracking in several places.

"Guess you're not as powerful as you thought!" Antonio teased. "You're already losing power!"

Jayden grabbed Antonio's arm, pulling him back to shut him up.

"I will destroy you all!" Xandred cried out and his sword lit up with energy, he swung it once, unleashing his powerful energy on the Rangers, Serrator, and Dayu. For a beginner attack, and for a Nighlok who was drying out, this was the worst hit any of the Rangers had ever taken. They were knocked off their feet in an instant. As they struggled to get up, Xandred attacked Serrator.

Serrator was cunning enough to leave quickly, dodging as many attacks from Xandred as possible. He leapt away and Xandred was already too weak to follow. As Serrator left, however, he dropped Dayu's Shamisen. Xandred started walking over to pick it up.

Jayden was the first to his feet. He picked up his Spin Sword and instantly powered it up. He was nowhere near ready to seal Xandred away yet, but the more he weakened him now, the easier the battle would be later.

"Blazing Strike!" Jayden cried out and landed a hit on Xandred's shoulder. He thought it would do something. He hoped it would leave a mark, but it hit Xandred's skin and did absolutely nothing. Xandred grabbed the blade in his hand, holding it in a place. A smirk appeared on his lips.

"Ah yes, the red Ranger," his skin continued to dry out, but Xandred wasn't affected by it at all. He turned to look at Jayden, "Pathetic head of the Shiba Clan."

Xandred pushed Jayden away and swung his sword. He struck Jayden along his body. Jayden, who had tried to block the attack with his Spin Sword, fell to the ground, crying out in pain. When he looked for his sword, he was it was cut in two. Completely useless.

Xandred hit him again, blasting him back to the others who gathered around him protectively. Jayden squirmed on the ground painfully, crying out from behind his helmet, but the Rangers knew he was still alive. They raced past him and stood in a line.

"Quintuple Slash!" they cried out, combining all their weapons and energy into one powerful attack that was normally more than enough to destroy a single Nighlok, but Xandred blocked their attack and sent his own right back at them.

Jayden finally pulled himself back up. His sword was gone, but the Rangers had theirs. With much difficulty he walked over to his friends and picked up Emily's sword, snatching it right from her hand. He pulled the Black Box from his pocket and clipped it on. He transformed into Super Samurai and summoned the Bullzooka. He aimed it right from Xandred, who continued to dry out but stood even stronger than when he first appeared. Nothing seemed to have any effect on him. Jayden fired the Bullzooka but Xandred just knocked the blast aside with a loud roar. Jayden continued to fire shot after shot after shot. Xandred cast each one aside as he charged towards Jayden. He swung once, knocking the red Ranger back to the ground. Jayden struggled once again to get up to his feet.

Xandred saw the other Samurai trying to get up and he blasted them with his powerful energy once again. They weren't going to interfere. When Xandred looked back to the red Ranger, he saw he was standing up. He swung his sword one more time, putting in as much power as he could. He chuckled maniacally as the red Ranger disappeared inside a powerful explosion. Flames, smoke, and dirt shot up from the ground, engulfing him completely. As the wind cleared it all away, the red Ranger fell to the ground and his Ranger suit disappeared. He tried to get up, but could barely lift his head.

"Pathetic," Xandred said and turned away. He walked to Dayu's Shamisen and picked it up.

The Rangers got up to their feet and made their way over to Jayden. They fell beside him, trying to wake him.

"C'mon, Jay," Antonio gently shook his boyfriend but nothing worked. Jayden wouldn't wake up.

Kevin tore up his shirt and pressed it into one of Jayden's many bleeding wounds, "Wake up, Jayden. Don't do this to us."

The ground started to shake again. Giant Moogers appeared from a large Gap. Whatever the Nighlok had planned, they weren't holding back on anything. Jayden was down for the count and the other Rangers were all beaten up and exhausted.

Antonio clutched Jayden's hand tight and then let go. He jumped to his feet and summoned the Clawzord. Before anyone could say anything, he was up and fighting the Mega-Monsters.

"I've got to borrow this," Kevin whispered to Jayden, taking the Black Box from his side. He looked to Emily, "Stay here, keep him safe. Call Ji and Serena."

Emily nodded her head. While the others jumped into the Megazord, using all they could to fight the Moogers, she powered down and fumbled around with her Samuraizer. It rang twice before she heard another ringing from behind her. She hung up and looked over her shoulder.

"Serena!"

Serena dropped her crutches and fell beside her sister. She pulled her into a tight hug as James went to check up on Jayden.

"Ji's getting everything set up at home," James promised Emily and Jayden, if the red Ranger was still even remotely conscious. Very carefully, James lifted Jayden up in his arms.

"The Gap Sensor started going crazy," Serena explained to Emily, "I had to come. What happened?"

Emily didn't answer. She buried her face in her sister's shoulder and trembled in terror. Serena looked up at the Megazord battle. The Rangers were winning, but not by much. They were pulling out every Zord and every weapon they had in their arsenal.

Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Moogers were gone. Serena watched as the Megazord stood tall, but she doubted the Rangers inside were celebrating. She looked down at her sister, still trembling in terror, and then she looked to Jayden and James, who were waiting for her and Emily to go home.

"C'mon, Serena, Emily. Jayden needs help _now!_"

Despite finishing off all the Moogers, this didn't feel like a victory. Not even close.


	149. The War Ends Here

The Rangers rushed into the Shiba House after their battle. Antonio pulled ahead of the entire group, pushing and shoving his way through. He stumbled down the halls, badly beaten, racing as fast as he could to his bedroom. He swung the door open…

But it was empty. Antonio's heart stopped. Jayden's bed was made, untouched since that morning. There was no mess anywhere; no trail of blood to be seen. Jayden had been bleeding badly when he left.

"Antonio," he heard Ji call and he raced over to the older man. Ji pointed to his bedroom door and Antonio raced inside.

"Jayden!" Antonio called as he took Jayden's hand. Machines, tubes, wires, everything was connected to Jayden, keeping him alive and as pain free as possible. Unfortunately, the red Ranger still wasn't awake. He seemed to be sleeping peacefully, but Antonio knew better. "C'mon, buddy," he squeezed Jayden's hand and brushed the hair from his face, "Wake up."

"I did all I could," Ji promised, wiping away his own tears. "What happened out there?"

"Didn't Emily tell you?" Mike asked and then he looked around the room.

Ji shook his head, "She's with Serena and James in the other room."

Mike nodded his head and raced out of the room. Ji watched him leave and then he looked to Kevin, hoping for an explanation. He knew it wouldn't be good. Only something horrible could have done this to Jayden.

"Master Xandred," Kevin said, "He came into our world."

Just the thought of the red-faced Nighlok sent shivers down Mia's spine. She pulled into Kevin, seeking comfort in his arms. Kevin wrapped her up tight, terrified as well.

"Xandred?" Ji frowned and then shook his head, "No way. That's not possible. Xandred doesn't have enough power to survive here for long…"

"Just long enough to hand us our asses on a shining silver platter," Antonio muttered. His muscles tensed, "He was drying up right from the moment he stepped foot on Earth, but he still had enough power to do this!" he gestured to Jayden and then to himself and the rest of the Samurai. They had cuts, scrapes, bruises and bumps. None of them had come out unscathed.

"He kicked our asses," Kevin nodded, "and he was weak… what's he going to do when he comes back?"

"What's going to happen to Jayden?" Antonio asked and looked over to Ji, "Please say he's going to be okay."

"Antonio…"

"No!" Antonio shouted. Tears started streaming down his face as he looked to Jayden. He clutched his boyfriend's hand tight and laid his head down gently on his chest.

"We should give him some space," Mia suggested and she pulled on Kevin's arm, "C'mon…"

She dragged Kevin out of the room and Ji followed. He closed the door carefully and let out a deep sigh. He looked to Mia and Kevin sadly.

"If Xandred truly is back…"

"Do you think we can do it?" Kevin asked and he squeezed Mia tightly. "Xandred… he's…"

"Now I know how the Moogers feel," Mia muttered. Ji placed his hands on their shoulders and he guided them to the common room.

"Let's get you both cleaned up," he said. "If Xandred did come back and dried up, just like you said, it'll be a while before he steps into our world again. For now, we worry about ourselves."

"How is Jayden, Mentor?" Kevin asked. Ji just shook his head.

"I've done all I could, but Jayden's not a quitter."

-Samurai-

Inside Ji's bedroom, Antonio promised himself and Jayden he would never leave Jayden's side until he was better. He didn't care what happened. He didn't care how many Nighlok attacked, or how much water seeped into the world, he would not be moved.

"You were coming back," he whispered to Jayden and gave him a soft kiss, "You were coming back to us… to me. Xandred… he's taking you away."

Antonio kissed the back of Jayden's hand, "This is what I was scared of, Jay. This is why I came back. Xandred's going to stop at nothing to destroy you. I can't let that happen."

The machines beeping filled the silence as Antonio waited for a reply that never came.

"I'm not going anywhere," Antonio promised. "You're my best friend, the only man I've ever loved. It was, and always will be an honour fighting by your side. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Antonio climbed up into the bed and he lay beside Jayden. He brushed a few stray strands of hair away from his face and lay in bed, next to his boyfriend, until he passed out.

-Samurai-

When Mike got to Serena and James' room he saw it was a mess. Worse than when Terran had first been born and the last thing Serena worried herself with was the state of her room.

But there was no one in sight, at least, not as far as he could tell. He walked over to the crib and peeked down, even Terran was gone.

"Did Ji mean another room?" he asked himself before the door opened and James walked in with a first aid kit. He gave Mike a sad smile.

"I thought I heard you guys coming home," he lifted up the kit, "I brought this for you."

Mike looked to the kit and then noticed the cuts on his arms. The pain began to set in from the battle as the adrenaline wore off. He sat on the end of the bed and James cracked open the kit.

"Nothing looks too bad," James said, "What hurts?"

"Where's Emily?"

"Safe," James promised, "Let's get you cleaned up first."

He rubbed some disinfectant into Mike's more sever wounds. It stung but Mike couldn't care less. James started bandaging up some of the wounds and looked up for a moment.

"What happened?"

It seemed to be the question everyone was asking, even the Samurai. They had seen it, Xandred had walked the Earth, and he had kicked the Rangers' asses, but Mike couldn't believe it. He just gulped and shrugged his shoulders.

"Emily said something about Xandred…"

"He surfaced," Mike nodded his head. "He did that to Jayden."

James sighed and continued to bandage up Mike. When he was done he gave the Samurai a very gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Serena took Emily to the bathroom to clean her up," he said, "I left Terran in his play pen so I've got to check up on him. Are you okay to…?"

"I'll be fine," Mike nodded. He got to his feet. The pain really set in at this point but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He limped slightly, feeling the tug and pull in each and every muscle as he moved, but he kept walking until he reached Serena's bathroom. He opened the door just a crack before he saw the rolls of bandages on the floor, the knocked over bottles of disinfectant and ointment, as well as the wet and slippery mess from the sink and the tub. Right in the middle of all of it, sitting on the floor, were Serena and Emily. Emily was sitting on Serena's lap, curled up as tiny as possible, clinging onto her older sister in terror. Mike sat down beside her and put his hand on her back. Emily instantly jumped into his arms, holding him close, though never letting go of Serena.

"Are you okay?" he asked her. She had sat out the latter part of the battle so she wasn't as tired or as beaten up as the other Rangers, but emotionally she was a wreck. Mike could understand why. He was terrified as well. He also wanted to curl into a ball and have someone hold him and protect him. The mere sight of Xandred had him frozen in terror. Watching him decimate Jayden while drying up and growing weaker by the second, all while fending off attacks from the other Samurai, as well as kicking their asses effortlessly had only proven how powerful he was and how big a threat he was.

There were no words to describe Mike's fear.

"I don't want to face him again," Emily whispered in his ear. Mike nodded his head and held her close. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as she could.

Serena gave Mike a pat on the shoulder and Emily a kiss on the top of the head before she got up on her shaky feet. She grabbed her crutches and slowly and carefully walked out of the bathroom and into the common room. She found James playing half-heartedly with Terran, trying to keep the baby boy's spirits high. There was no need to panic him.

"I've made a huge mistake," Serena whispered to James. He looked up at her and held out his hand.

"Fate has a reason for everything, especially when it intervenes."

Serena just sighed and walked over to him. She sat down and pulled her son onto her lap. James wrapped her in his arms and held her tight.

"They can do this," he whispered to her. "If anyone can do this… it's them."

-Samurai-

Mia sat at the end of her bed, shaking like never before. Ji had cleaned her and Kevin up by basically covering them in bandages and stitches and then he had left them to check up on Jayden.

Mia was mortified, but Kevin was worse. He paced back and forth and not even the sound of her voice could bring him back. Eventually, Mia took his hand, pulling him down onto the bed.

"Say something, Kevin."

"All those Nighlok were jokes compared to Xandred."

"He's king for a reason," Mia nodded her head, "I guess we all saw this coming…"

"I didn't…" Kevin replied honestly as he looked at her, "I just… I thought I was ready. All that training, all the dedication, the experience… but standing before Xandred, watching him take out Jayden like that… I feel helpless."

"Our parents faced him and survived…"

"Not all of them," Kevin shook his head. Mia took his hand and squeezed it.

"Don't think like that. They survived. They sealed him away, even just temporarily…"

"I'm freaking out, Mia," Kevin pulled away from her, "I can't… I can't do this. I can't do temporary. It's all or nothing. I want to either seal him away for good, or I just want to be killed right at the start."

"Kevin…"

"No!" Kevin jumped to his feet, "Temporary means he'll come back. If he comes back before the next generation is ready… we'll have to fight him again. If he… if the kids… our kids… I can't…"

Kevin's eye began to water and he turned away from Mia. He wasn't big on thinking about his future family. The thought of being a father and being responsible for the life of another human being terrified him, more than Xandred did even now, but it was something he had always wanted. Despite not being ready for kids, and not having any of his own, he already loved them and could never imagine asking them to do what he was doing now. He would never, ever ask his children to go up against the fierce Master Xandred. He would never ask them to drop everything in their lives and sacrifice themselves for the planet.

Mia stood up. She put her hands on his cheeks.

"We can win this…"

"You saw what he did to Jayden," Kevin shook his head, "I don't think we can. If he ever comes back, which he will… we don't stand a chance…"

"Don't say that!"

"I don't want to live a lie, Mia! I'm scared! I…" Kevin stopped when Mia pulled him into her arms. She hugged him close.

"I'm scared too," she whispered, "but we're not giving up. You're alive, I'm alive. There is still a chance, okay?"

"But…"

"You're right," Mia nodded, "It's all or nothing. Either Xandred dies or we do. The war will end with us, one way or the other. Our kids will never, ever have to see his face, I promise that."


	150. Pathetic

Xandred approached the fallen yellow Ranger, chuckling loudly as he lifted his sword, "You're pathetic."

He brought his sword down, slashing through the Ranger suit not once, but twice before piercing the sword through her stomach and tearing it open. Xandred walked away laughing, leaving the yellow Ranger to bleed to death.

-Samurai-

Serena woke up, gasping loudly for breath as she looked around her bedroom, telling herself it was only a dream. Still, she needed to see for herself that everything was okay. She threw the blankets off and hung her legs over the side of the bed. She reached out for the crutches and pulled herself up. She walked down the hallway to Mike and Emily's bedroom and opened the door, peeking inside. To her relief, Emily's death had, once again, only been a dream.

After a lot of crying and screaming, Serena had managed to get Emily to talk about the battle and she learned her sister had come face to face with Master Xandred himself. She heard from Emily that he took Jayden out effortlessly, despite drying up and growing weaker with every passing second he remained on Earth. Emily told her how Xandred had chased away Serrator and then focused all his energy on destroying Jayden. Emily told her how he stopped the Rangers from helping by beating them up, but never actually laying a hand on them.

They used all their weapons, all their powers up, everything available to them short of just summoning the Zords right away and stomping on him (though knowing the power Xandred had, Serena doubted that would do much good).

The whole team was scared. Serena had bumped into each of them before going to bed. Kevin was working on the sealing symbol and on trying to come up with a new weapon or power up that could help. He worked and worked, distracted by nothing, until he passed out. Mia stuck by his side, trying to convince him to take a break, to rest up, but he wouldn't listen, scared that any moment he didn't spent trying to come up with a sure-fire way to stop Xandred was a moment wasted. This took its toll on Mia as well, who seemed to want Kevin to take her in his arms and hold her close. She was terrified too.

Antonio was obviously upset by Xandred's appearance. The big bag had torn his boyfriend apart. Though there was hope for Jayden's recovery, things weren't looking good. He was still lying motionless in his bed, hooked to wires and machines. Serena had never seen him so vulnerable, and neither had Antonio. He hadn't left Jayden's side, and every time Serena went into Ji's room to check up on him, Antonio had tear stains on his cheeks and refused to talk to anyone who wouldn't tell him Jayden would be okay.

Ji was more withdrawn that usual. He worked on medicines and in books to try and find something that would help Jayden or the Samurai. Serena could understand why he was so upset. Jayden was his son and everything important to him. To see him hurt so badly terrified the older man, and to know that nothing had been done against Xandred made the fear even worse. Ji knew full well this was an attack that could and would happen again, and it was very likely that when it did it would take someone's life.

Mike was also scared. Serena could see it in his eyes, but he hid it well for Emily's sake. Emily had been shaking and clingy from the moment Serena found her with Jayden. She wouldn't let go of Serena or Mike, panicked that this was the end – her end.

Serena hated this. She hadn't come face to face with the dreaded Xandred, but he still scared her. Positive she had a death wish, she wished it was her out there fighting, like her parents intended. She thought it was bad enough asking her little sister to fight the Nighlok in her place, risking her life on a daily basis to stop the monsters from invading the city. But now that Xandred had reared his ugly head, the weight of what Serena had forced her sister into came crashing down on her. Emily was the true yellow, but Serena knew that if she hadn't let her illness progress, if she had just treated it instead of trying to stay strong, she would be the one in the yellow suit, fighting against Xandred and his whole army. Emily would be back at home, safe and sound, protected by both her parents.

Two arms wrapped themselves around Serena and instantly she knew who it was.

"Come back to bed," James whispered in her ear and reached out to close Mike and Emily's bedroom door. Serena turned around and buried herself in his chest. This was too much. James carried her back to bed and he lay down with her. He promised her he would help her get back on her feet and he promised her she would fight alongside her sister and her friends when the time came. He lifted her spirits, making her believe he was right long enough for her to fall asleep. After that, all hope disappeared. James hugged her tight, trying to hold back the tears in his eyes so they wouldn't stain his pillow and she wouldn't know he had cried.

He knew she was scared and he knew she wanted to help. He knew how important it was she fight and protect the Rangers. He loved and hated that about her. He knew he couldn't stop her, and he would never ask her to turn away from her friends and family, but he didn't want to see her on the battle field. He didn't want her in harm's way, especially with Xandred lurking about. She meant everything to him and he couldn't imagine losing her.

Morning came and the sound of someone's fist pounding against the door woke James, Serena, and Terran.

"Get up!" they heard Kevin call from the other side, "Training starts in five minutes!"

Serena sat up and whistled. Scruffy raced into her room with her crutches in his mouth. When James had carried her off he hadn't taken them with him. Fortunately, Scruffy knew exactly how to help. Serena gave the dog a loving pat on the head and then turned to James, who was already tending to Terran. With a simple nod, he told her to go train. He would take care of their son that morning.

As Serena walked outside she saw the most pathetic group of heroes sitting waiting for instructions. As expected, Antonio hadn't come outside, already making the team short two Rangers. Emily trembled as she played mindlessly with her Samuraizer. She was flipping it open and closed, trying to keep herself distracted until Kevin gave her something to do. Mike was the only one on his feet. He was pacing back and forth. He looked exhausted and had a slight limp from his battle the day before. His eyes were dark, indicating he hadn't gotten much sleep, and that the little time he had spent sleeping hadn't been very good. His shirt was also on backwards and he had no idea until he locked eyes with Serena and she tugged on her own. Unfortunately, Mike was so tired; it took an unusual amount of struggling on his part to turn the shirt around, and when he finally did do it, it seemed to be his exercise limit for the day.

Mia looked like a total mess and Serena was positive she hadn't slept a wink. She wasn't doing anything to comfort Emily or get Mike to relax. In fact, Serena was sure Mia was doing absolutely nothing. She was so lost, so completely gone, that occasionally she had to take deep breaths and remind herself to breathe in and out periodically.

Kevin gave the team, his team now that Jayden was injured, a glance and he shook his head. He was also very tired and very defeated, but he was ignoring his body. He needed to make sure the team was ready for the next attack, and the only way he could be sure of that was to train them hard. He didn't seem to notice he was one short, and Serena stood on the porch and watched. She was tired and drained, but she was the most alert and the strongest at this very moment.

"On your feet," Kevin barked to his three teammates. Serena wondered how long it would take him to notice she was missing. The longer it took, the worse off he would be. While she never doubted his ability to lead in Jayden's absence, she wasn't sure he was the right one to be in charge right now. He was obviously just as terrified as the rest of the group, and because they were looking to him for strength and courage they were obviously growing more and more panicked, and sinking more and more into despair. At this rate, Xandred would win without lifting a finger.

Mike was already standing, but Mia and Emily got to their feet at Kevin's command. He tossed them each their swords, which they all dropped. Serena's hope for humanity sunk a little as she watched them train.

"This is pathetic," she muttered as they took themselves out. They hadn't even partnered up. They had barely done anything, and they were already kicking their own asses. Right now, a gentle breeze would be more of a treat to the Moogers than the Samurai.

"Focus!" Kevin shouted unnecessarily. No one was speaking. There was barely a sound, and yet he still felt the need to scream. "C'mon, guys, you're pathetic!"

"Kevin…"

"Shut up, Mia!" Kevin barked, "You know just as well as I do that we need to train. If we don't, Xandred's going to kill us!"

Emily froze up in terror when she heard that. She dropped her sword and stared at Kevin. He looked back at her and nodded his head, "And he'll start with you, you little runt!"

"Kevin!" Mia shouted, trying to scold him. Serena really wished Kevin wasn't dead tired and scared out of his mind. She knew it was the panic and exhaustion talking and he didn't mean what he said. Still, she couldn't let it go on. He was hurting himself and he was hurting his team.

"Everyone in the common room," she ordered. Kevin was about to argue but she shook her head. She lifted one of her crutches, "I trained all day with this yesterday. Don't make me show you what I can do."

Kevin was silenced and walked into the house, behind the others. He took his seat on his stool. Serena stood, looking at all of them. She needed to get them to snap out of this misery. She had no doubt Xandred would be their biggest challenge of all, but if they were to stand a chance against him, they needed to bounce back. They needed to try and fight with all their hearts.

She traced a symbol with her finger and a pile of blankets and pillows appeared at her feet. She whistled and Scruffy darted over to her. He picked up a pillow and when she pointed to Emily, he carried the pillow over to her. He did this with each pillow and blanket until the Samurai all had a set.

"Go to bed," Serena ordered. She traced another symbol and individual mats appeared on the floor. The Rangers did as they were told without a word in protest. They took their pillows and blankets, claimed a mat for themselves and lay down to sleep.

They didn't all fall asleep right away. Mike did as soon as his head hit the pillow, but Kevin tossed and turned uncomfortably until exhaustion finally took over and knocked him out. Mia didn't even bother to close her eyes once she lay down. Instead she just kept her eyes on Kevin. Serena knew she wanted to be in his arms but Kevin would be of no comfort to Mia until he was strong again. She knelt down next to Mia and smiled softly.

"I talked to Ji last night," she whispered, "He's convinced Xandred won't be back for a while. You saw just how badly he dried up, right?"

Mia nodded her head. Serena took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "I won't lie to you, he'll be back and it'll be worse than this time, but we have a lot of time between now and then. I'll make sure you're ready for him, okay?"

Again, Mia nodded her head. Serena gave her a kiss on the forehead.

"I won't let anything happen to you," she promised. Mia gave one final nod before closing her eyes. Serena didn't let go of her hand until Mia was fast asleep. When she was, Serena pulled herself back up to her feet and walked over to Emily. Her little sister hadn't even lied down to sleep. She sat up, hugging her pillow to her chest. Serena sat down beside her and pulled her sister into her arms.

"I'm so sorry, Emy," she whispered, kissing her sister's cheek, "I'm sorry."

"I'm scared," Emily breathed. Serena shook her head.

"Don't be. I'm not going to let Xandred beat you."

"You're not?"

"No matter what happens, Emy, I won't let him touch you," Serena gently lay Emily down onto her mat, "Go to sleep, okay?"

Emily shook her head and rolled over. She focused her eyes on Mike until they were too tired to stay open.

Serena was about to lay down herself when she heard footsteps approaching the common room. She knew it wasn't danger, but her stomach turned anyways, fearing the worst.

James appeared from around the corner, holding Terran in his arms. Serena signalled for him to be quiet.

"Nap time?" James whispered, "They just woke up."

"They need this," Serena told him. James knelt down beside her and gave her Terran. She hugged him to her chest. James lay down on the floor beside her.

"I tried to talk to Ji and Antonio."

"And?"

James shook his head, "Nothing… from either of them."

"How's Jayden?"

"He'll recover…"

"But…?"

"Eventually."

Serena sighed, "I hate Xandred."


	151. One Comes Back

The Rangers were still fast asleep in the common room, which was further proof that they desperately needed this nap. The hours ticked by and none of them looked like they were ready to wake up.

The house was depressingly quiet. Aside from the occasional loud snore from Mike, not a sound could be heard. Even Terran seemed to catch on to the mood of the house and he was taking it easy. Serena assumed he was missing his aunts and uncles. Fortunately, though he wasn't very happy at the moment, he wasn't screaming or crying. He was staying quiet and taking advantage of the peace to get longer naps in and quality time with his new daddy.

When Ji wasn't checking up on Jayden, he was hiding away in his room. Serena knew it was best not to bother him, but if he didn't come out soon to check up on the rest of the team, she would have to have a few words with him. Jayden was important to Ji, but his recovery partly depended on the Rangers getting back to normal without him. He couldn't wake up and take on the team again. He had to know they could look after themselves. He had to know they could do this without him. If he didn't know that, he would put more pressure on himself to get back to shape.

Antonio, as he had promised, never left Jayden's side. Serena never saw him leave Ji's room and she was starting to wonder how he did it. She knocked on the bedroom door but didn't wait for permission to enter. She walked right in.

"You're an ugly crier," she told him as she checked the machines hooked up to Jayden. He was resting and recovering, but he still wasn't where she wanted him to be. He had lost a lot of blood and he had taken quite a beating. It was a miracle he was still alive.

"Way to kick me when I'm down," Antonio muttered. "Look, I'm not in the mood…"

"If you want to spend most of your day moping around in here that's fine," Serena leaned on her crutches and glared at Antonio, "but there's a team out there that needs your support. Did you even know there was training this morning?"

"Kevin invited me," Antonio nodded his head, "but I'm not leaving Jayden's side…"

"I know. If it were James in that bed, you'd have to pry me away from him with a crowbar," Serena said, "but then you, or someone else, would storm in here and start giving me a speech about everyone I'm letting down…"

"I'm a Samurai because of Jayden," Antonio shook his head, "I fight with Jayden, I fight for Jayden. He's the only reason I came back…"

"Fine," Serena nodded, "he's the reason you're here. He's the reason you wanted to be a Samurai, but he's not the reason you're still here…"

"Yes he…"

"Kevin, Mia, Mike, and Emily," Serena interrupted, "You remember them, right? Your friends? They need you. I know you're hurting, Antonio, and I know the last thing you want to do is leave Jayden, but you've got to bounce back. Someone needs to be strong…"

"You be strong," Antonio snapped. He looked at Jayden's face sadly, "I'm staying here. Jayden's not going to be alone…"

"And he won't be," Serena smiled, "he'll know, even when you're not with him, you're still with him. Please, Antonio…"

"No. Leave us alone."

Serena groaned loudly so Antonio would know she was frustrated and then she turned around to leave. Just before she reached the door, she saw Antonio's Samurai Morpher sitting on Ji's dresser. Antonio hadn't said it exactly, but until Jayden woke up he had unofficially quit the team. It was a selfish and horrible thing to do, but Serena couldn't blame him. He, just like all the others, was terrified.

She plucked the morpher from the dresser and slipped it into her pocket. She couldn't use it, but Antonio had figured out how to become a Ranger on his own. Surely something could be done for her. Kevin was a wizard with Ranger technology and while Mike wasn't as good with gadgets as Antonio, he was still pretty handy. If they put their heads together, they could figure something out, and it would keep them busy for the next few days at least.

As she turned into the hallway, thinking of the Samurai Morpher and trying to imagine what it could help her do, she heard a sniff. She looked up and there was Kevin standing in the middle of the hallway sobbing. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"It's okay to be scared," she whispered in his ear. "The best, the strongest, and the bravest all get scared."

"I can't lose to Xandred," Kevin shook his head and pulled away just a little. Serena continued to lean on him and looked up curiously.

"I know we can't afford to lose," she gently rubbed his back, "but you sound…"

"Dad made it seem so easy," Kevin whispered. "He said if I trained hard, if I do as I'm told and dedicate myself to my duty, I could stop Xandred, but…"

"Our parents faced him," Serena looked Kevin in the eyes, "They were hurt, but they came back…"

"But they didn't win," Kevin sighed. He leaned against the wall and sunk down to the floor. Serena sat down next to him, "All they did was lock him away for fifteen years. Jayden's father died just to seal him away temporarily. I know they tried their best, but they didn't do the job right and now we're paying for their mistakes. I never asked to be a Samurai, you know."

Serena nodded her head, "None of us…" she glanced at Ji's bedroom door and changed her thought, "I know you didn't."

"I wanted to swim. I should be in London right now, swimming in pools, training as hard as I can… and if I lose… I lose. It's really no big deal. The world won't come crashing down around me. Time won't stop. My friends, my family, my fiancée won't be killed because I lost. Someone else will shine. That was supposed to be the worst case scenario."

"I know," Serena wrapped her arm around his shoulder and pulled him into a tight hug, "it's not fair to us, it wasn't fair to our parents, or grandparents, and so on, but you know what?"

"What?"

"This is happening," Serena gave him a hard pat on the back and then used his shoulder to push herself back up onto her feet, "Like it or not, the world is in your hands. What are you going to do about it? Are you going to sit around the house like a pathetic loser and let the world come to an end, or are you going to fight?"

"Serena, Xandred handed us our asses on a silver platter…"

"Yeah, he's tough and scary. Yeah, he might kill you, but that doesn't give you the right to quit. C'mon, Kevin, you may not have chosen this life, but you were born for it. You're a Samurai, through and through, and if you let Xandred win after one little fight then you'll have let everyone down. Your friends, your family, your fiancée, they are all counting on you. So are you going to man up and show Xandred he's going to have to try even harder to take you out, or are you going to sit around the house and cry, and give him even more power with your pathetic tears?"

Kevin wiped his eyes and looked down at his hands, soaked from his tears. Serena did have a point. All his panic and crying hadn't accomplished anything except giving Xandred even more power. He knew he had a tough battle ahead of him, and it was either going to be his life or Xandred's, but he wasn't going to win if he didn't try something. He was a fighter, not a quitter. His father hadn't raised him to throw in the towel after a single loss.

He stood up and pulled Serena into a hug. He gave her a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."

"That worked?" Serena pulled away and looked at him stunned, "Seriously? Are you back to Kevin?"

"We've got to try something," Kevin nodded his head. "Jayden's down, but he's not out yet. None of us are. Xandred was tough, but we've got some time before he come back. We'll be tougher."

"Thank God," Serena sighed in relief, "You have no idea how happy I am to hear you say that," as she said this, she reached into her pocket and pulled out Antonio's morpher, "I tried talking to our shiny compadre but unfortunately my speech didn't have the same effect on him as it had on you…"

"Serena, what are you asking?" Kevin looked down at the morpher nervously. He knew Serena wanted to get into the fight. He knew she wanted to play a bigger role in the battle against Xandred and the Nighlok, but he had a strange feeling brewing in his stomach.

"I have a Samuraizer that makes symbols," Serena looked Kevin right in the eye so he would know she wasn't kidding around, "Hell; I barely need it after what happened at the Academy. I can make symbols in my sleep without it."

"You are good," Kevin said and shook his head, "but Serena, the yellow Ranger powers…"

"Belong to Emily," Serena nodded, "Always have, always will. But Antonio made himself a Samurai, and he made himself a Ranger. He got himself a suit, gave himself a colour, and put himself on this team. I've got the symbols, I've got the training, and unlike you, I'm asking for this."

"Antonio's the tech guy…"

"You make Zord combinations. You've studied this Ranger stuff since you were in diapers. And with Mike's help, I'm sure you can figure out what Antonio did."

Kevin took the Samurai Morpher from Serena, "Alright… I'll come up with something. I can't promise you'll be a Ranger, though, but…"

"I just need a little more protection," Serena said with a smile.

"Okay," Kevin nodded, "Should be… doable. What colour do you want?"

"Surprise me," Serena smirked. Kevin let out a slight chuckle and then turned back to the common room. Serena walked into the kitchen. It was almost dinner time and she couldn't smell anything being cooked. The Samurai were all going to wake up from their naps eventually, and they all needed to eat something.


	152. Confidence

Kevin was back, and he wasn't afraid to admit it took him this long.

The fight with Xandred had terrified him. He had watched as the Nighlok generations of Samurai struggled to defeat took down his Samurai leader effortlessly in a matter of minutes. Jayden was still recovering, still asleep in his bed, and he kept the Rangers wondering as to when he would wake up and let them know he was okay.

But just because Jayden was down, that didn't mean the whole team was out. Kevin knew he needed to come back, the team needed to come back. They had no reason for giving up. They weren't going to hand Xandred a win. If he did win, he was going to do it over their dead bodies.

While the others slept he started to examine Antonio's Samurai morpher, hoping he could see how the gold Ranger had turned himself into a gold Ranger. Serena wanted to help, but she would need protection. Xandred had proven he was tough, and he and Serrator would no doubt send out tough Nighlok from now on. The Rangers needed to be ready, and they needed all the help they could get. If Serena wanted to fight, Kevin had no objections.

"Kevin?"

He dropped the Samurai Morpher onto the table when he heard a sleepy voice. It was Mia. Her whispered voice reminded him of the terrified look she had been wearing since coming home from the battle. She tried to act brave and strong for him, but now that his mind was clear he could see she had practically been begging for him to keep her safe. As she crawled off the mat, he opened his arms and pulled her in. He held her close to his chest.

"Sorry, Mia."

"It's okay," she whispered, "Everyone gets scared."

"I'm not scared anymore," he gave her a kiss, "You were right, we need to keep fighting. The war ends with us, one way or the other."

"What if it is the other?"

"Don't think that way. Xandred kicked our butts, I'll be the first to admit that, but we're still alive. He's only going to win if we give up."

"Or die."

"Stop it, Mia," Kevin growled slightly to let her know this wasn't the way she was supposed to think. He grabbed her arms and pushed her away so he could look at her, "This is what we're training for. It's worse than we expected but we're going to be ready. Xandred made a huge mistake by showing up this early. No we know what we're up against…"

"So does he!"

"He had no idea," Kevin shook his head. He pulled Mia back into his arms, "We grow stronger every day. He'll come back and we'll be ready for him. He won't toss us around again."

He gave her a kiss on the cheek and then wiped away her tears, "Not only are we making ourselves weaker, but the Sanzu Water rises from our tears, remember? Stop crying and we'll be okay."

Mia nodded her head. It took a few more sobs and cuddles from Kevin, but she did eventually dry her tears.

-Samurai-

Antonio hated the silence in the room. He hated it mostly because it wasn't completely silent. The constant beeping of the machines kept him alert and reminded him of what almost happened.

"I'm not leaving your side, Jayden," he whispered to his boyfriend and squeezed his hand. His eyes widened and his head shot up when he felt Jayden squeeze back. He looked to the red Ranger's face and he saw his eyes flutter open, "Jayden!"

Jayden groaned loudly as his whole body screamed in pain. He shifted around uncomfortably until he felt a hand gently touch his face.

"Buddy, you're okay."

Jayden shook his head. He didn't feel okay. He felt worse than he ever felt before. It was like his entire body was on fire, and not the fire from his Symbol Power. It hurt to move, it hurt to breathe, and it hurt to think. He screwed his eyes shut, hoping he could go back to that place where he felt no pain. It was dark and lonely, but it was so much better than the pain.

"I'm right here, Jay," Antonio said, "You're going to be okay. You're fine, Jay. Stay with me…"

A glow suddenly surrounded Jayden's body and he fell limp into the bed. Antonio was horror stricken and beat his fist into the mattress. When he turned around he saw Serena holding out her Samuraizer.

"I wouldn't have used it, but that symbol's a toughie," she was happy for the crutches now, as they kept her from falling over.

"He was waking up!" Antonio screamed, tearing himself away from the bed for the very first time. He stormed over to Serena, "What the hell did you do?"

"Painless symbol," Serena said, "I remember he used it on me, once…"

"Call it back!" Antonio shouted. Serena shook her head.

"He's hurting, Antonio. This is for the…"

"He was waking up!" Antonio screamed and roughly shoved Serena back. She lost her balance and fell to the ground, but she had practiced this with James. Antonio was enraged and threw himself on top of her, but Serena pushed him off. She didn't have much use of her legs when it came to fighting, but when she was on the ground she didn't have to worry about standing up. Her legs could be used solely to defend herself.

"Wake him up!" Antonio shouted again as he grabbed Serena by the arms and slammed her into the floor. He was trying as hard as he could to hurt her, hoping to get his way, Serena just wanted him to leave, and she didn't want to hurt him too badly. Needless to say, she was at a disadvantage, all things considered.

"He's asleep!" someone shouted over him and Antonio was grabbed and pulled away from Serena. He was thrown into the wall this time and when he hit it he sunk to his feet and held his head in his hands.

James, who had heard the screaming from the hallway, walked over to Serena and helped her up.

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking at her with concern. All it took was one accident and all her progress would be for nothing. Serena nodded her head and then gestured to Antonio.

"Leave him alone," she whispered gently, "He's having a rough day."

"Serena…"

"James," Serena looked him right in the eye. James sighed and then he nodded. He guided Serena out of the room but before he followed he turned to Antonio.

"I thought you were better than this," he said, "I thought friendship meant something to you."

"Screw you."

"No. Screw _you_," James didn't care who he woke up. He slammed the door and walked away, joining Serena in the kitchen for last minute dinner preparations. Apparently, Antonio would not be joining.

-Samurai-

As the smell of a fresh cooked, homemade meal filled the air, Mike started to stir. One thing that could always wake him up was food, and if the food smelt good he would wake up in a good mood.

This time the food woke him up, but he wasn't in a good mood. He had slept like a baby, but his sleep had been full of nightmares. He fought Xandred over and over in his dreams, and each time he lost. Most of the time he would die, leaving the team and Emily to fend for themselves. Other times, someone else would die. Emily had died once or twice, and one of those times she had died because of something Mike had done.

The worst part: the dreams felt real, and they were real. There was nothing strange or out of place. They were all things that could happen, and he had seen so many scenarios he was sure one of them would come true. They all ended in death, but Xandred was never defeated.

When he woke up he got to his feet. Kevin and Mia tried to call his name to talk to him, but he wandered out of the common room and into his bedroom. He locked the door, fell into his bed and lay with his eyes open. He wouldn't sleep again.

Back in the common room, as Mike walked off, Emily lifted her head from her pillow. No one knew she was awake until now.

"Mike…?"

Mike didn't hear her, or ignored her. Either way, he didn't stop until he was gone. Emily started to tremble again until she felt herself being lifted into someone's arms. She was carried over to the middle of the room, by the table, by Kevin, and was put down on the floor. Mia then pulled her into her arms, hugging her tight. Kevin gave her a smile and a confident look.

"Everything's going to be okay."

"But…" Emily looked over Mia's shoulder. Mike was gone and Serena was nowhere to be found.

"We can beat Xandred," Kevin told her. Mia nodded and gave Emily a gentle squeeze, "We'll be fine."

"Dinner time," Serena whispered from the doorway and then noticed everyone was awake. Emily was sitting with Mia and Kevin and Mike was gone somewhere. She hoped the smell of dinner would draw him into the kitchen. Until then, she would work with what she had. She gave Emily a big smile, "I made apple pie for dessert."

A ghost of a smile appeared on Emily's face but she only moved when Mia and Kevin got up. She held Mia's hand as they all followed Serena into the kitchen.


	153. Good News, Bad News

While most of the Samurai had their spirits back, the mood at the Shiba House was still depressing. So depressing, in fact, Serena almost considered calling in sick to work, despite knowing it would piss the principal off. But James assured her it was smart to leave for the day. The Rangers would be fine on their own for a few hours, and looking after Terran would keep their minds off Xandred. Getting out of the house would keep Serena from taking on too much at once, and it would help her out as well. She had good news to share with her co-workers, and good news was much needed at this time.

James dropped Serena off by the front doors while he parked the car. For the first time in a very long time she could walk in the front door of the school. With some difficulty she climbed the steps. She didn't have too much practice with stairs at the Shiba House. She walked into the school with a bright smile on her face. Some students, the early arrivers, saw her walking in and whispered to their friends. A few of the secretaries in the office saw her through the windows and jumped out of their seats to greet her. There was a warm welcome for Serena all the way to the staff room. Just as she was about to walk in to put her back pack down and greet the rest of her friends, one of the other gym teachers walked out. Her eyes shot out of her head.

"Serena, don't go in there!"

Serena furrowed her brow, "Why? I always drop my stuff…"

"You shouldn't find out this way."

"Find out what?" Serena gently pushed her way past the coach and walked into the staff room. Her heart suddenly stopped. Were it not for the crutches, she would have collapsed. Coach Hall walked up behind her and put an arm around her shoulder.

"Let's go," she whispered in Serena's ear and tried to walk her out. Marissa walked in from the second entrance. A smile lit up on her face. She gestured around the room, where pictures of her and James in various… positions, were hung up on the wall.

"Three weeks," Marissa grinned, "James and I use to…"

"Take these down, Marissa," Coach Hall growled. Marissa shook her head.

"No! James deserves better than this cripple," Marissa turned her attention to Serena, "Have you ever made him this happy?"

She ripped a picture off the wall and showed it to Serena. Coach Hall tore the picture out of her hand and ripped it up. She then pointed to the rest of the pictures around the room.

"Take them down!" she demanded again, "What if a student walks in?"

"It's the staff room," Marissa shrugged. "They shouldn't be in here."

"They shouldn't be smoking out back, but they do it anyways," Coach Hall roared. She guided Serena back to the door. Marissa raced over, blocking the two women from leaving. She held up another picture and pointed to the corner.

"How about this recent one?" she showed Serena the timestamp at the bottom, "Last Friday. Face it, Serena, James doesn't want you. He's just too good a guy to break up with you. You're better off just…"

"Leave her alone," Coach Hall pushed Marissa into the wall and walked Serena out of the staff room. Marissa smirked wickedly. Her deed was done, all she had to do was watch as Serena and James fell apart and she would be there to pick up the pieces.

No one else was in the staff room. Most of them had walked in and turned right around to leave, disgusted by the sight. They weren't all friends with Serena or James, but the pictures were not something they wanted or needed to see, especially when most of them were trying to eat breakfast. Marissa sat down at the empty table and started going through her phone, looking at the many pictures she had saved there.

"What the hell?" she heard James shout and realized he must have walked into the room. She jumped out of her chair with a happy smile, but before she could greet him, James was already gone, slamming the door loudly as he left.

-Samurai-

Kevin knocked loudly on Mike's bedroom door. He hadn't seen the green Ranger since the day before and was really starting to worry.

"Mike, c'mon. Serena wants us to try and make her a morpher and I could really use your help."

No answer. He tried again.

"Emily's still a little scared and could really use you right now."

Still nothing, so he continued to try.

"Terran wants to play with his uncle make. Mia can't make the same sound effects while reading. Terran just gives her funny looks."

With still no answer, Kevin decided this was ridiculous. He knocked the door down.

"DUDE!" Mike cried and jumped from his bed. Kevin massaged his shoulder and then looked to Mike.

"You're not doing this too."

"Leave me alone."

"No," Kevin shook his head and he grabbed Mike's arm, "I'm scared too, but unlike you, I'm actually going to do something about it. I'm training; I'm taking care of my team, my fiancée, and yours."

"Emily…"

"You locked her out of her room, Mike," Kevin growled, "When Serena and James left for work, she and Terran climbed into mine and Mia's bed. She needs you. We all need you."

"Xandred's just going to win anyways…"

"Don't say that," Kevin pulled Mike to the door. "Don't you dare say that and don't even think it."

"Kevin, he beat us…"

"Most Nighlok beat us the first time around," Kevin nodded his head. "It can take two, maybe three tries before we figure out a way to beat them. Xandred's the same."

"We didn't leave a mark…"

"He's in the Netherworld recovering. When he comes back…"

"He'll kill us."

"Then at least die with honour," Kevin growled. He let go of Mike's arm and walked out of the room. "Seriously, Mike."

He stormed off, hoping Mike would smarten up and follow.

-Samurai-

At the school, Coach Jen Hall had taken Serena to an empty classroom to calm her down. She was unsure of Serena's reaction. When she first saw the pictures and realized what Marissa planned on doing, she thought Serena would be distraught or livid, or both! But Serena had no reaction. She just stood, trying to process it all. Jen sat Serena down at a desk and took her hand.

"I know what it looks like…"

"Photoshop," Serena's hand started to shake as it all sunk in, "Tell me its photoshop."

Jen shook her head and sighed, "Even if it's not, it's not real. I've worked with James for five years now. He's my best friend. He would never do this to you or any woman. Marissa's got to be playing a trick with that picture…"

"And all the others?"

Jen let out a deep breath, "Honey, James was a bit of a wild… he and Marissa had passion. They had their hands all over each other. But he was still just a kid back then. He's grown up a lot since then, especially since he met you," Jen pulled Serena into a tight, comforting hug, "He's not that person anymore. Marissa made him happy once, but it was a different kind of happy. The kind that fades away with time. His love for her, his passion for her, they all disappeared. Trust me when I say there's nothing he loves more on this planet than you."

"She's right," James said from the door, having finally found where Serena went to cool down. Jen stepped aside, allowing James to take Serena into his arms, "Marissa and I were amazing once, but even our best moments pale in comparison to my life with you."

"The kiss… on Friday…" Serena looked James in the eye, "Please…"

"She kissed me," James said, "I pushed her away, I swear, Serena. How did you even know about it?"

"Marissa sure loves those cameras," Jen pointed to a camera in the hallway, "she must have stolen the footage and taken pictures of that moment."

James breathed loudly, "I should have told you, Serena. I'm sorry. But she kissed me and it meant nothing. It wasn't worth bringing up because it would only give her the attention she's looking for," James took Serena's hand and showed her the engagement ring, "I've done a lot of stuff with Marissa. Some stuff I'll never forget, and I'll be honest, I enjoyed. But the one thing I've never done with her, or any other woman, is propose. You're the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with. Marissa can keep up these antics all she wants, I'm never…"James was interrupted as Serena pulled him into a deep kiss. Jen turned away.

"And there's that third wheel feeling," she covered her eyes with her hands until it was safe to look again.

After a moment, James pulled away and looked to Serena, "So we're okay?"

"I hate Marissa," Serena nodded, "You've never given me a reason not to trust you, especially when it comes to her."

"I'm going to go…" Jen smirked, flicking her thumb over her shoulder, "Just remember you two, no matter how cute the couple, PDA is still disgusting."

"Thanks, Jen," James called to her as she walked out. Jen nodded her head and stepped into the halls. She saw a pair of teachers walking out of the staff room, muttering something to each other. It didn't take a genius to know what they were talking about.

What Marissa had done had disgusted her. The past was the past, and private lives were meant to be private. Those photos were for personal use only and she had no right to post them all over the staff room. Had a student brought even a single photo of the sort, they would have been suspended without discussion.

Jen had been around when Marissa and James dated. She knew what they once had and though it had been hot, it was nothing like what James had with Serena now. Since meeting Serena, James always came to work with a smile on his face. He was happier and he was stronger. What he had with Serena was real and it would never be broken. Marissa was fighting a losing war.

So Jen walked into the staff room and started tearing pictures down. Marissa tried to protest, but Jen wouldn't listen.

"How about you stop acting like a fourteen year old brat and focus your energy on maybe finding someone like Serena. James clearly isn't interested."

"He will be…"

"Give. Up."

Marissa crossed her arms over her chest, "No."

"Miss Kingsley," a voice from the door called. Marissa and Jen both turned about to see Principal Stevens standing and looking very disturbed. He glanced around at the pictures still up on the wall, the ones Jen hadn't gotten the chance to tear down. "Can I speak to you in my office, please?"

"But…"

"NOW!"

-Samurai-

"I don't know technology," Emily furrowed her brow and crossed her arms defiantly. While Mia was making lunch for Terran, Kevin had asked Emily if she could help him with Serena's Samuraizer. He knew she wouldn't be a big help, but without Mike or Serena around, Emily needed something of a distraction to keep her mind off Xandred. She was slowly gaining her confidence back, and was willing to continue fighting with the team, but Kevin wanted to see his little sister cheer up.

"Maybe you can pick the colour," Kevin shrugged his shoulders. "That's easy enough, right?"

"Why pick a colour?"

"You don't want two yellow Rangers, do you?"

"But we are both yellow."

"If both you and Serena turn into yellow Rangers, people are going to start calling you the little yellow Ranger."

"A short joke? Really?"

"Just help me. What colour should your sister be?"

Emily whispered in his ear. Just then, Mike appeared in the doorway.

"Die with honour, right?"

Emily jumped up and raced into his arms, "You're not going to die."

"I hope not," Mike nodded and gave her a kiss, "but I know I've got to do something to put the odds in our favour. Moping around won't do us any good."

"So you're done being a scaredy-cat?" Kevin asked and when Mike nodded his head he smiled, "Great. Wanna help me with the Samuraizer, then? Emily's no help."

"I told you," Emily pouted. Mike chuckled.

"How much more help can I be?"

"This isn't too hard," Kevin shrugged his shoulder, "Serena's Samuraizer used to allow the yellow Ranger to morph, and if we follow what Antonio did, we should have her suited up in no time."

"Alright. Gives me something to do anyways," Mike nodded. He took Emily's hand and the two of them walked back to the common room table. He knelt down and took Antonio's Samurai Morpher to examine it.


	154. After The Attack

Eyes were watching him. All day long, James felt like everyone could see right through him.

Of course, the staff at school had. If they hadn't seen the pictures in the staff room, they had certainly heard about them, and those pictures left nothing to the imagination. He felt naked, even in front of his students, who had no idea of the drama occurring amongst the teachers. He felt violated.

"You have nothing to be ashamed of," Jen whispered to him as the students from their last class filed into the changing rooms before the final bell sounded. "You are pretty hot."

"Hot?"

"I'm not blind," Jen chuckled with a nod of her head. "Just because I'm not attracted to you doesn't mean I don't notice these things. You still have that six pack?"

Jen tapped him lightly on the stomach. James flinched away. He didn't feel like being touched, even by his best friend. Thoughts of the pictures adorning the staff room filled his mind again and he felt exposed. He zipped his sweater up right to the top. Jen gave him a curious look.

"Are you okay? James, really, it's nothing to be ashamed of. You look good and…"

"Everyone knows it," James muttered. The doors to the gym opened and Jen let out a big smile. Serena was here.

"Tell your fiancé he's the most attractive man in school," she gave Serena a pat on the back and started for the girl's change room. She could hear them screaming from the gym.

Serena looked to James, "What she said."

"I don't care about that," James whispered. He took Serena's backpack off her shoulders, "Let's just go home."

"Straight home, I hope. I wanna check up on the others."

"Sure," James nodded his head and practically dragged Serena out of the school. Even without the crutches, she would have had a hard time keeping up.

"James!" she called his name over and over again but he wouldn't stop until they got to the car. He threw Serena's bag into the back seat, then helped her into the passenger side. He stuffed her crutches in with her and raced around to the other side of the car. As he got in, he started to fumble around for his keys. Serena held them up.

"What's wrong?"

"I just want to get away from here."

"The bell hasn't even rung yet. You left Jen on her own with the girls _and_ the boys."

The bell rang as she finished her sentence. James reached for the keys but Serena pulled them away before he could snatch them.

"Talk to me, Smith. I thought I was the one having the rough day."

"Your naked sex photos weren't hung up on the wall for your co-workers and boss to see," James muttered. Serena dropped the keys. She had spent all day trying to tell herself that was in the past, she forgot it would have an impact on James. He had been so strong for her that morning, and he had held up that façade for her all day, knowing it wasn't easy for her to see her fiancé and the new father to her son in those… positions. She hadn't looked at what was right in front of her. While it was humiliating to her, that was only by extension.

"They'll forget all about it," Serena put her hand on his cheek and smiled comfortingly, "Maybe not tomorrow, but soon. You've worked here longer than I have. This place, while not as crazy as home, does have its what-the-fuck moments."

James sighed loudly, "I know. I just…"

"No one back home knows," Serena told him. "It can stay that way if you want."

"Please," James nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "I do not want Monster hearing about this."

Serena chuckled and leaned over. She gave James a kiss, "It'll blow over, I promise. It'll be like it never happened."

"I hope so," he said. Serena gave him the keys and he started the car.

-Samurai-

Antonio was pulled from his thoughts as a weight landed on his chest. He had been lying beside Jayden, hoping the symbol would wear off. As long as he was sleeping, he was in pain. Antonio couldn't bear the thought of Jayden in pain. He knew the painless symbol was keeping him comfortable, but he needed his boyfriend to come back.

When the weight landed on his chest he was slightly startled. He looked down to see a sandwich on a plate, and then looked up to see a very disappointed Mia.

"Eat," Mia demanded. Antonio shook his head and rolled over, letting the plate fall onto the bed. He didn't care for it. He wasn't hungry and he had no problem living in filth until Jayden woke up.

"And I thought I was pathetic," Mia muttered and rolled her eyes. Then she grabbed Antonio by the shirt and yanked him out of bed. "Get up, get showered, and go help the boys. Serena's given them a project and it would be really…"

"No."

"Help them," Mia growled and approached Antonio. She put her face in his, "I get it, seeing the love of your life laid up in bed sucks. I've been there…"

"Not like this."

"You're not helping Jayden, right now," Mia said, "In fact, you're making it worse. You're stinking up the room, polluting this fresh air he's working so hard to breathe in, and instead of taking care of his team, and yourself, who he loves more than you can imagine, you're letting everyone down. You disgust me."

"I don't care…"

"So, what, without Jayden Antonio is gone too? Just out the window and dead to the rest of the world? Who the hell are you? Certainly not our gold Ranger."

"Mia…"

"You signed up for this shit because of Jayden, but like it or not, you signed up to help the entire team. We're all counting on you. We'll all depending on you. We need you, Antonio, and you're just checking out? I thought we were your friends."

"You are, but…"

"I would never be friends with someone like you," Mia spat and pulled away. She stormed out of the room and hoped a verbal kick in the ass would give Antonio the push he needed to bounce back.

Antonio watched Mia leave and when he was sure she was gone he crawled back up on the bed. He took Jayden's hand in his and kissed it.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered, "I should have protected you."

"You still can."

Antonio looked up and saw Ji standing by the door. He turned away, but the older man walked in. Antonio thought of kicking him out, but this was technically Ji's room.

"I made up my mind…"

"Xandred's not going to stop here," Ji looked down at Jayden sadly and sighed. He still found nothing that could help his son and it was killing him.

"Yeah, he'll kill the others and…"

"He doesn't care about them," Ji shook his head, "At least, he won't care until Jayden, and every single member of the Shiba family is dead. Don't underestimate the power Xandred possesses."

"_Under_estimate?" Antonio scoffed, "Ji, I…"

"The team was falling apart," Ji said, "Serena, fortunately, managed to pick them up, but they still aren't ready. They are missing a teammate. How do you expect to keep Jayden safe if you're not out there stopping the Nighlok?"

"I…"

"I know my son," Ji nodded his head, "I've known him long before you met him, I knew him long after you moved away, and I certainly know him now. He would not want this. Snap out of it, Antonio."

Antonio gulped and looked down at Jayden, "Can I just have one more minute?"

"You have all the time in the world," Ji nodded, "What you choose to do with that time is up to you."

With that, Ji walked out. Antonio squeezed Jayden's hand lightly, "I know what you would say. I just can't imagine going out there without you. I know I promised to stay by your side and I'm not breaking that. Even when I'm not here, I'm still here, okay? I'm not gone. But the team… our friends still need me. I can't let them down. I'll keep them safe, Jay, and they'll protect me. You just take care of yourself, okay?"

Antonio gave Jayden a kiss on the forehead and walked out to the common room. He found Kevin and Mike working with Serena's Samuraizer while his morpher sat on a table.

"Finally come to join, I see," Kevin said. "We're trying to turn Serena into a Ranger. She wants to help, and with Jayden down we could use her help."

"Yeah," Antonio nodded sadly as he knelt down beside the table. Kevin gave him Serena's Samuraizer.

"Mike and I figured out the basics. All the pieces are still there, so she should be able to morph, we just don't know how to…"

"This is much easier than programming a cell phone," Antonio said. He tinkered around with the Samuraizer, working quickly. As Kevin had stated, all the pieces were still in the Samuraizer. It had worked once before, but as time progressed, the Samurai had chosen a Samuraizer that looked a little more modern. A cell phone looking device would pass a lot easier in public than a paint brush with an alarm. "It just needs the right energy. I might be able to do that with my own morpher."

He texted a symbol into his morpher and programmed it into Serena's Samuraizer. It glowed yellow for a moment and then faded. Antonio looked up with a smirk, "Should be up and running. I would do a few tests before sending Serena into battle. All I need now is a colour. We can't have two yellow Rangers running around."


	155. Never Unsee

James wasn't convinced his sex pictures would blow away any time soon, but at least the Shiba House was a safe place. The Rangers had no idea what happened at the school, and though James felt like his world was closing in on him, he knew there were much bigger things to worry about.

"I still love you," Serena gave him a kiss as they walked into the house. He smiled, loving how she could read his mind. He really needed someone's support right now. As he set her backpack down on the floor he heard someone approaching. He looked up to see Antonio had left his bedroom for the first time in days. James looked over to Serena, and then to Antonio.

"Good news?"

"Still nothing from Jayden," Antonio shook his head, "but he would want me helping the others right now."

Serena gave Antonio a bright smile and then a hug, "Glad you came around."

"I know I let you down. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Serena shook her head, "You're back now, that's all that matters. Have Kevin and Mike…?"

Antonio held out her Samuraizer before she could ask, "It was pretty easy to program. Everything was already there; it just needed a little kick."

"Awesome," Serena smiled. She put the Samuraizer in her pocket and looked to James. She hadn't yet told him she wanted to do more than just help the Rangers, she wanted to be a Rangers. Jayden was down for an uncertain amount of time, and with Xandred making an appearance, the Rangers needed to be as strong as possible. Serena was a fully trained Samurai, she was qualified to be a Rangers. She had her own Symbol Power and she knew how to pilot the Zords. The only reason she hadn't jumped in sooner (aside from not getting the idea to copy Antonio's morpher until recently) was because there were no more Ranger suits to go around. As she was about to explain to James her need to join the Rangers, he held up a hand.

"I get it," he said. Serena smiled and wrapped her arms around him tight. She knew she was asking a lot. She knew the risks, not only for herself, but for James and Terran, but this was something she needed to do.

"The others are going to start training in a bit," Antonio pointed over his shoulder, "Maybe you can test out your new powers."

Serena nodded her head and then gave James another kiss. She wanted to race off to get changed, but she stopped for a moment. Though she had practiced fighting with her crutches she couldn't be a Ranger if she was still handicapped. She was far from fully recovered, but she did have use of her legs. She leaned her crutches against the wall and then walked off without them, occasionally putting her hand against the wall for support.

"Your fiancée is definitely… unique," Antonio chuckled and looked to James. Worry, doubt, and fear flashed across the older man's face and Antonio caught it before James could hide it. He looked to James curiously, "Are you okay? You know Serena's the toughest of us all, right? She'll be fine."

"Jayden was tough," James shrugged. "I don't doubt her skills, I just…"

"Don't want to lose her? Yeah, I know how you feel."

"Yeah, but… It's just complicated right now," James didn't want to admit he needed her. He felt so exposed now that the school had seen the stills of his three weeks with Marissa. He felt vulnerable and, if he was honest, he needed to know Serena was around to keep him protected. He knew dealing with Xandred and the Nighlok was more important, but he couldn't change the way he felt.

"Did something happen?" Antonio asked. James shook his head.

"Don't worry about it."

Antonio gave him a light pat on the shoulder, "You don't have to worry. Serena probably thinks she's protecting us, but we're all going to be looking after her. Nothing's going to happen, I promise."

"Thanks," James breathed and then pointed to his room, "I'm going to see if Terran's awake."

Antonio nodded and let James leave. The other Samurai were coming out of their rooms, ready for their training lesson. Last to leave her room was Serena, who was wearing a different uniform than what she was used to. The style and fabric were all the same, but the colour was different.

"Why the hell am I a zebra?" she asked, pointing to the white lining instead of the yellow she normally wore. "I feel like an ass-kicking zebra."

"Emily picked the colour," Kevin said, "You wanted to be surprised."

"I'm a white Ranger?"

Emily nodded her head and grabbed her sister's hand, pulling her along, "Now you're the newbie and I can teach you what you need to do!"

"I've been a Ranger before," Serena tried to remind her sister but Emily wasn't listening. She was obviously enjoying the change of pace. For once, she would be the senior.

Down the hall, in James and Serena's room, James checked the crib and saw Terran was still sound asleep for his nap. Letting out a heavy sigh, James walked over to the laptop on the desk and opened it up. He decided he would take his mind of everything by writing up some lesson plans for tomorrow's classes. As he was about to get started, he heard his phone vibrating. He saw it was a text from Jen. He opened it up.

"_Marissa's not at school anymore!"_

There was a ghost of a smile on James' face, but it wasn't enough to cheer him up.

"_Why?"_ he messaged back.

"_Stevens saw what she did. He was pissed and kicked her out of school. She's working in the board now, doing desk work and stuff."_

"_Out of my hair, at least. Serena will be happy to know she's gone."_

"_Shit…"_

James furrowing his brow as he read the last message. He almost didn't want to ask: _"What?"_

"_Avoid Facebook forever."_

"_Why?"_

James knew it was best not to look, but he couldn't stop himself. He opened up the internet and started searching through Facebook. He had no clue what he was looking for until he found it. His cell phone buzzed and buzzed, but he wouldn't respond at all. Tears stung his eyes and he tried to wipe them away, but they flooded down his cheeks.

Some students had somehow gotten their hands on some of Marissa's pictures and had dedicated a page to show them off to the rest of the student body, as well as the world. James knew that if he could stumble upon it without searching for it, so could anyone.

He slammed the laptop shut and picked up his phone, _"I'm not coming to school tomorrow. Cover my classes for me."_

After sending that text he turned off his phone and crawled into bed. He grabbed his pillow and hugged it tight to his chest. This was horrible. He was humiliated.

-Samurai-

"This is awesome!" Serena looked down at her Ranger suit with a big grin. It was identical to Emily's with the exception of the colour, which was white instead of yellow. Serena drew her Spin Sword, her smile hidden by her helmet, "I can't wait for a Nighlok to show up. I'll kick their ass!"

"How do you feel?" Mike asked her, looking to her legs. Serena looked down and wiggled her toes inside her boots.

"Stronger. Being in the suit helps," she pulled the helmet off, "I'll still need to exercise, though. I've got to be a hundred percent."

"A hundred and ten," Emily corrected. "I don't want you getting hurt. You need to be really good."

"I will be, Emy, I promise."

"You can power down, now," Mia chuckled, "We're done for the day."

"Aw, c'mon, guys, my legs and back feel great! I wanna spar!"

"It's close to dinner time. We've been out here for hours already," Antonio said. "We can spar tomorrow."

"I have school," Serena grumbled, "I want a long session."

"Patience is a virtue."

"I'm so sparring you first," Serena crossed her arms over her chest as she powered down. She gave Antonio a glare while Kevin led the Samurai Rangers back inside.

"We'll all do a little bit of sparring tomorrow," he said, "We'll need to be back in full form for when Xandred sends out his next Nighlok. We can't fall behind."

"But we're done training for today, right?" Mike asked and grabbed his laptop from the table in the common room, "Because I've got another big red monster that needs defeating, this time in the virtual world."

"You're looking up cheat codes, aren't you?" Antonio asked with a disappointed shake in his head.

"Go check up on your boyfriend."

Antonio nodded. He didn't need to be told twice. Mike opened up his laptop. He knew Antonio hated when he cheated his way through a game, and normally he was against it as well, but there were some times where he needed a little extra help. He had been working on defeating this one enemy for weeks, and was getting pretty fed up.

While browsing the internet, Mike noticed Emily had left her email open and she had a message from Spike. She hadn't spoken to him in a while, but Mike figured she could use a little break from the Samurai life to talk to someone a little more normal.

"Em, email!" he called to her and she walked over, peeking over his shoulder as he opened it.

"_You won't want to see this… but you might have to. Some kids at your sister's school found these. Isn't this your brother in-law?"_

"Oh, I'll bet it's pictures of James when he was in high school," Mike smirked as he clicked the link. He looked over his shoulder at Emily, "Apparently he went to the same school. I saw him in a few old yearbooks in the library."

"You walked into a library?"

"I had to pretend I was a student for Serena, remember? Sometimes I got fake homework and needed to pretend I was doing it."

"You pretended to do homework?"

"I opened a textbook," Mike chuckled. Emily gasped loudly. Mike thought she was just playing along and teasing him, but then she covered her eyes and her face was as red as Jayden's Ranger suit. "What?" Mike asked as he turned to the computer, "The pictures were funny but they weren't… AH!" he let out a scream and slammed the laptop shut. He pushed it away and jumped out of his seat, "What the hell was that?"

"James' twin brother?" Emily whispered softly.

"Does he have one?"

"I hope so… and that wasn't Serena."

"Do you want it to be?" Mike asked.

Emily shook her head, "No but… I… but James would never… what… what was that?"

"Guys, stop flirting and come for dinner," Kevin called, "We're having leftovers."

"I'm not hungry," Emily held her stomach and she felt like she was going to be sick. She raced off to her bedroom.

Kevin watched her go and then looked to Mike, "Is she okay?"

"Does James have a twin brother?"

"Not as far as I know. He's got a brother, but not a twin."

"Wrong answer," Mike sighed and shook his head, "Some things cannot be unseen."

"Are you downloading something you shouldn't be downloading?" Kevin crossed his arms over his chest, "Mike, I get you're a boy with needs and it's hard to find privacy but…"

"Trust me, Kev, you're not going to have to worry about that," Mike shuttered, "I am… disturbed."

"You know what. I don't want to know," Kevin turned to the kitchen, "I'm hungry. I'm going to eat."


	156. The Naked Truth

Serena didn't find it odd that James didn't come out at all for dinner, but the rest of the house did. She explained he wasn't feeling well, assuming that he wanted to be alone for the night. She made him a plate and walked to her bedroom. She knocked on the door again so he would know she was coming and then she walked into the room.

"I brought you your dinner," she told him, walking over to the bed where she saw he was buried under the blankets. She set the plate down on the end table and sat beside him, "I didn't think you would want to eat with the rest of us."

"Fine."

"I'm the white Ranger."

"Great."

"You don't sound excited," Serena lay next to him and tried to lift the blankets, but James grabbed them in his fist and buried his head. He didn't want to be seen. Serena sighed. She didn't like talking to a lump but it seemed she had no choice, "James…"

"Go away."

"This isn't easy, I know, but…"

"I can't show my face in the school ever again," James shook his head and stuck his hand out from under the blankets. He was holding a paper, "Here's my letter of resignation."

"James, this is a bit ridiculous…"

"Everyone knows," James mumbled, "Open my laptop."

Serena got up and walked over to the desk. She sat down and opened the lid of the laptop. She entered in the password and as the screen came to life, Serena's eyes widened.

"How did this happen?" she forced herself to close the page, knowing that doing so would require her to look at the screen. When it was gone she got up and stepped back. She turned to James, "That's…"

"Everyone knows," James mumbled again. He sat up and wrapped himself in the blankets, feeling exposed even in front of Serena. She looked at his face and saw the tears coming down. He was hurting obviously more than she was. Marissa had used this as an attack against Serena, but it wasn't working out at all like she had planned. While Serena was embarrassed and surprised, the real victim was James.

"That bitch is not winning…"

"She's not working in the school anymore," James whispered as Serena walked back to the bed. "I'll probably get a good talk from the principal as well. Maybe the superintendent now that this has gone public. That's why it's best I just quit now…"

"No, James, you can't let this stop you," Serena shook her head, "That page will be gone…"

"Nothing ever leaves the internet, Serena!" James shouted. "You can take down that page, you can remove all the pictures, but someone, somewhere is going to have a copy. Now and forever, my sex life will be for the world to see!"

"No, it won't," Serena pulled James into her arms, holding him tight. She knew he needed her, but she had no idea how much. As soon as she pulled him in, he wrapped his arms around her, clutching onto her fearfully. Serena gently rubbed his back, "I'm not going to let this hurt you. No one messes with the white Ranger's family and gets away with it."

Serena kept James in her arms until Terran started to make noise from his crib. That was when James pulled away.

"I'll take care of him," he whispered to Serena, "There are still bottles in the fridge, right?"

"There's always a week's worth," Serena nodded her head. James picked his son up and carried him out of the room, hoping he wouldn't run into the others. Unfortunately, as soon as he opened the door he saw Emily. She had just been about to knock. James looked at her uneasily. Since this morning he thought everyone was looking at him strange, even when they had no idea of the pictures.

Emily, in return, seemed very uncomfortable in his presence. Her face turned beet red and she averted her gaze down to her shoes immediately. Without a word in exchange, James walked past her, getting away as quickly as he could. Emily walked into the bedroom and closed the door.

Serena didn't know what to say, except: "Alright, you two have had some awkward encounters before, but that was weird."

"Does James have a twin?"

"No," Serena shook her head and gave her sister a strange look, "Emy, you okay?"

"Um… I…"

Serena gave the mattress a pat, "Come here."

Emily took a seat beside her sister but she still didn't know what to say. She and Serena were open about everything. There was nothing Emily wouldn't discuss with Serena, especially when she was curious or insecure. She knew Serena would never judge and never laugh at her. Unfortunately, Emily wasn't sure this was something that she could share with Serena. She had seen James' sex pictures and while they hadn't exactly fallen on innocent eyes, Emily had never done or imagined any of the things she had seen. It made her uncomfortable. It made her nervous, and worst of all, she wasn't sure if Serena knew of the existence of these pictures.

But she couldn't talk to James. She couldn't even look him in the eye. She didn't want to break her sister and James up, she actually liked this boyfriend, but there was no way she was bringing this up to James first.

"M-Mike and I were… we were…. I got an email from Spike and… there was a link."

"A link…?" Serena's blood went cold. It didn't take a genius to put the pieces together. Emily's sudden awkward encounter with James, her obvious discomfort, her nervousness… "Oh no."

"You know?"

Serena had promised James she wouldn't talk about what had happened at school, but now that Emily knew she found she had no choice.

"Marissa, James' ex, put those pictures up in the staff room. She was trying to break us up."

"Why are they on the internet, then?"

"Because some punks thought it would be funny to show the world," Serena grumbled. She pulled Emily into her arms, "Are you okay?"

"Are you okay?" Emily looked up at her sister, "That was James, no doubt about that… but that wasn't you."

"James and I talked," Serena nodded her head. "That was in the past, before he met me. I don't like it, but it happened."

"Oh… okay…"

"Emy, do we need to… you know…?"

Emily quickly pulled away from Serena, "NO! I mean… I know… I know what I saw and… I know how it works and…"

"I know, but there's a difference between what you've done and… well… and that."

Emily shook her head, "I'm good… I have no questions. You don't need to talk to me I'll just… I gotta go…"

Before Serena could protest, Emily darted out of the room. Serena knew she was uncomfortable with the whole subject, and she couldn't blame her. It wasn't an easy situation to deal with. It was awkward, it was humiliating, it raised a lot of questions, it affected everyone. There weren't just casual semi revealing photos. This was… well, the naked truth.


	157. That Awkward Moment

James didn't know why he wanted to do it, but he did. The others were outside training with Serena, helping her get used to her new white Ranger powers (though they were just yellow Ranger powers with a different colour). Ji was keeping his eye on Jayden and Terran. James was all alone.

He had skipped school. He was sure his coworkers understood. Marissa's actions had been intended to hurt Serena, but they had backfired on her. She had lost her teaching position at the school, and instead of hurting Serena, she had hurt him. If there was any upside to his humiliation, it was that. At least Marissa had failed. He spent all day trying to tell himself that.

Now, after spending all day thinking about the pictures, he wanted to see if maybe his memory had altered them, made them seem worse than they actually were. He opened up the laptop and searched for the images.

"Yep," he muttered when he found them. He scrolled through them, "They're just as bad… maybe worse."

He turned off the laptop and crawled back into bed, "I'm never coming out."

-Samurai-

Emily sparred with her sister, and it was the most awkward match she had ever done. Serena would not shut up.

"If you want to talk, Emy, you know…"

"No."

"You have nothing to be embarrassed about. I know you have questions, and it's…"

"I have no questions."

"You're a terrible liar," Serena grabbed her sister around the neck. She didn't squeeze, but she had Emily trapped, "I'll let you go if you ask me a question."

"Can you let me go?"

"A question about what you saw."

"Can you stop talking about what I saw?"

"Emy, I'm serious. I want to know you understand what James did…"

"Have you seen the pictures?"

"Yes."

"Then how are you okay with it?"

"What?" Serena released her grip. Emily pulled away and glared at her sister.

"That was your fiancé. That was the man you asked to be Terran's father. If that had been anyone else, you would have been disgusted. If that had been Mike, you would have broken us up in a second. Why are you okay with this?"

"I'm not okay with it," Serena said, "but that was before James and I met. He's not that person anymore, Emily. Besides, she obviously agreed to it," Serena took Emily's hand, "Look, I can only explain this to you if you and I talk…"

"LALALALA!" Emily stuck her fingers in her ears, "I don't want to know about it! That's James, and I don't know if I'm relieved or horrified that that wasn't you!"

"Emily…"

"LALALALA!" Emily continued to shout, drawing the attention of the others. Mike started to approach her but she pulled away, excusing herself from the last few minutes of training. Mike looked to Serena nervously.

"She, uh… won't talk to me either," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. He was embarrassed by what he had seen, but it was clear this wasn't as scarring for him as it was for Emily. After all, James was her brother in-law. He was family to Mike as well, but he was more of a friend. It was awkward, but less so.

"What's going on?" Mia asked.

Serena turned to the pink Ranger, "You wouldn't want to give my sister the talk, would you?"

"The talk?" Kevin frowned and gave Serena a strange look, "I thought…"

"A more detailed talk," Serena said, "Very detailed, in fact."

"I'm good," Mia shook her head. She put her katana away. "In fact, I don't think I want to know what's going on… so I'm just going to pretend none of this ever happened."

"Ignorance is bliss," Serena muttered and was jealous of Mia, Kevin, and Antonio. They had no idea.

As the hours wore on, Serena noticed the house becoming more and more quite after training. Kevin and Mia were doing their own thing, as usual and Mike was playing his video games. Emily hid herself in her room, same with James, and Antonio and Ji were looking after Jayden.

Serena didn't mind a little quiet time with her son, but this was getting ridiculous. This was a time where the Ranger team should be coming together. Just because they weren't fighting, that didn't mean they were falling apart.

-Samurai-

Mike loved his video games, but even he had a limit. After a couple of hours straight of playing, his eyes were starting to hurt and his hands were getting tired. He turned off the console and walked to his bedroom, but first he made a stop in Ji's room.

"How is he?" Mike asked softly as he walked over to Antonio. The gold Ranger looked up and let go of Jayden's hand.

"Okay, I guess," Antonio sighed.

"If it makes you feel any better, Jayden was really brave for taking on Xandred like that. I don't know about you, but I was shitting my pants."

"Yeah," Antonio chuckled, "But I guess Jayden did owe Xandred some payback. Xandred did kill his father."

"Xandred hurt all our parents," Mike nodded his head. "My dad still wakes up screaming in the middle of the night."

"I guess that can be pretty bad too; living that fight over and over again, even years later."

"But we're going to stop him this time," Mike said. He looked to Jayden and took his hand, "We're all working on that sealing symbol, Jay. Even Serena's started tracing it from time to time. We're not going to give up, and when you come back, we'll all be right there with you."

"I'm sure that means a lot to him," Antonio whispered. Mike nodded his head. He gave Jayden's hand a gentle tap.

"We've got to be strong, right? I'm fighting to the end, and not just because I was trained to do so. This is personal. I want to fight, and I want to win. Also, it would be kind of cool being the real hero. How awesome would it be to be the guy who can say, 'yeah, I saved the entire planet. So what?'"

Antonio chuckled, "Pretty awesome."

"Take care of him, Antonio," Mike left the room. Antonio nodded his head and took Jayden's hand again.

Mike walked down to his bedroom and opened the door quietly; unsure of whether or not Emily had decided to turn in early. As he opened the door, he saw her sitting up on the bed. She was playing with Scruffy. Though Emily had given him to Serena, Scruffy still considered Emily to be his mistress. When she was sad, Scruffy stopped everything to be with her. At this moment, he was acting like a goof while playing an easy game of tug-o-war. He wanted to make Emily laugh. Mike sat down on the bed and tried to wrap his arms around Emily, but she pulled away.

"You okay, Em?" he asked her. She nodded her head.

"I just don't want to cuddle."

"You don't want to talk to Serena, I get it," he sighed, "but we can talk, Em. Maybe we should talk. We should tell each other what we expect…"

"We're Samurai. We shouldn't expect anything."

"We're also engaged. We'll need to be on the same page about this stuff if we want this to work."

"Have you ever slept with anyone else before?"

Mike shook his head, "You're my one and only, Em. Is that what's bothering you? James was with someone else before your sister? You do know where Terran came from, right?"

"Yes, I know where Terran came from," Emily grumbled and she pulled further away from Mike. "That's not what's bothering me. He can date other girls if he wants, as long as it's in the past."

"And it is. James is a good guy, Em. He would never hurt your sister…"

"Those pictures were disgusting."

"Yeah, they were…"

"And Serena just let it slide."

"I'm sure it bothered her when she first found out," Mike answered, "but… you know, that just shows how strong they are. She can't chase him away with her problems, and he can't either."

"You know what else she let slide? Dekker trying to murder all of us."

"Emily…"

"She did! And look what happened! He hurt her! He almost killed her!"

"James isn't a psychopath. He did a dirty deed, Emily, but he's not on the same level as Dekker," Mike reached out to hug Emily but she pulled away again.

"Don't touch me!"

Mike held his hands up, "I'm not, Em. I won't," he looked her in the eyes; "I'm scarred too. Seeing James like that was the last thing I ever wanted to see, but it's… You know how… C'mon, Em."

"Where?" Emily asked as Mike headed for the door. He waved her over.

"Just follow me."

Emily looked at Scruffy and then got off the bed. She followed Mike, and Scruffy stuck close to her. When they reached the kitchen Mike gestured for Emily to stay in the hallway while he walked in. Emily poked her head around the corner and spied on Mike talking with Serena. After a bit of back and forth he took Terran in his arms and walked towards her bedroom. Serena started to come towards Emily. She backed away. She didn't want to talk to Serena. She didn't want to talk to anyone.

"Emily," Serena called her name and Emily knew she had been spotted. She stopped dead in her tracks.

"I don't want to talk."

"Wanna go on a walk?" Serena asked. She pointed to her leg, "I can use the exercise."

"I don't want to talk," Emily repeated. Serena nodded her head.

"I heard you the first time," Serena chuckled. "Apparently you don't want to listen either."

Emily shook her head. Serena started for the door.

"I was thinking I might have enough energy to walk to the ice cream parlour and back."

"What if I don't want ice cream?"

"You're Emily," Serena laughed, "You always want ice-cream."

Emily smiled and nodded her head, "Okay, but please don't try to talk to me. Not about… you know."

"I just wanna spend time with my little sister."

-Samurai-

While Serena was going to work her magic on Emily, Mike figured he would return the favour and have a talk with James. He knew about the pictures and knew James was humiliated. He also knew Serena was having a hard time getting him to leave his room, never mind go to work.

He walked right into James' bedroom and put Terran in his crib. James gave him a dirty look, but Mike ignored it.

"Seems you've got your own Xandred to face."

"What?"

"I saw the pictures," Mike announced. "I know what you did last summer."

"That's not funny," James turned beet red and looked away, "It's humiliating, Mike…"

"So was getting our asses kicked by Xandred. I didn't think we would be bouncing back from that one."

"You're comparing my… you're comparing this to that?" James asked. Mike nodded his head.

"Apparently, both are end of the world scenarios. Yours might be a little worse."

James shook his head. He was embarrassed, but his situation was nothing like Xandred defeating the Rangers. It was nowhere near as bad.

"Mike…"

"You quit your job; you hide out in your room. I know the other Rangers and I hit rock bottom for a bit, but we did bounce back. The fact that you can't see to come out of your room, even though most of the house has no idea what's going on, shows just how tragic and horrible this whole experience is."

"It's not…"

"C'mon, dude. So you have a kinky, disturbing sex life. Everyone's got their dirty little secret. At least now you have nothing to hide, and, I can't believe I'm going to say this, maybe you'll find out Serena's perfect for you."

James shook his head, "I'm humiliated, Mike!"

"I know, but you'll be just as humiliated in here as you will be out there, and at least if you go out there and face the crowd, you can tell them all to kiss your ass… wow, that was a terrible choice of words."

"Not funny."

"You know what I mean," Mike rolled his eyes, "Look, you know how I see Dr. Fletcher, right?"

"Yeah."

"Every session he tells me I'm in control of the way I feel. No one makes me angry. No one makes me happy. She didn't humiliate you. She just did something that made you feel humiliated, but you can change that. Don't let it affect you."

"It's not that easy."

"Yeah, it is," Mike nodded his head, "You're the only one making it hard. And if that's not enough to convince you to come out of the room, than think about this: I don't know what this whole thing is about, but dude, Marissa's totally winning."

"No, she's…"

"I'm not an idiot. Obviously this chick is a jealous ex. You announce you're engaged, she shows these to the entire world? That screams sabotage. And she's winning, because instead of cuddling with Serena and letting this slide off your back, you're pushing her away. Jealous ex may not have you back, but Serena doesn't have you either. Kind of an '_if I can't have him, no one can'_ thing going on. Think about that."

Mike started for the door, but then he stopped and looked at James again, "By the way, I can't cuddle with my girlfriend either because of all this. So fix this soon, please."


	158. Strength In Numbers

He felt like he had been hit by a train.

He could vaguely remember opening his eyes for a minute before they were closed again. It felt like only a few minutes ago, but a feeling in his gut told him it was longer. When he opened his eyes and saw the room was dark, unlike what he remembered, he sat up and fumbled around the end table for his Samuraizer. When he found it, he checked the time and the date. He gasped then hissed when he saw he had been out for days. He put the Samuraizer in his pocket and slowly and shakily climbed out of bed. Antonio had fallen asleep in the chair beside him, with his head resting on the mattress, but Jayden decided to let him sleep. Antonio was a worrier, and was no doubt getting some much deserved reset. Jayden would still be up and about when Antonio woke up on his own, he would make sure of it.

Walking was a huge challenge. Every little movement reminded him of his pain. His body was no longer crying out in pain, but the pain wasn't all gone yet. Fortunately, on his way to the common room, he saw Serena's wheelchair. It was night time, so she wasn't going to need it any time soon. Assuming it was better than walking, at least, for now, Jayden sat down and rolled the rest of the way. Now he felt just how badly his arms hurt.

"Lose-lose," Jayden grumbled to himself as he rolled to the bookshelf and opened one of the cabinets at the bottom. Inside was a locked box. The other Samurai thought the box contained some of Ji's personal belongings and so far they had respected his privacy. Jayden grabbed the box, put it on his lap, and then created a key with his Samurai. He put the key into the lock and opened the box. There was one cell phone and a journal inside. The Rangers were asleep, so Jayden was safe to make the call.

"It's Jayden," he said when the person on the other end picked up, "Xandred's back."

-Samurai-

The following morning, when Antonio woke up he saw the bed was empty. Joy and panic flooded out from him as he raced out of the room to find his boyfriend. He ran outside, knowing Jayden would probably be training, but the red Ranger wasn't there. He wasn't alarmed. He knew there was still the dojo. He ran back inside and looked in the dojo. Still, there was no one.

"Antonio," he heard and turned around to see Jayden in the common room. He sighed in relief and raced over to Jayden. He wrapped him in his arms and hugged him tight.

"Why didn't you wake me?" he asked.

"You looked like you needed the rest," Jayden chuckled. Antonio pulled him in for a kiss, which was interrupted when someone cleared their throat. Antonio took a seat with Jayden on the stool and saw Mike walking in from the kitchen with a breakfast tray in his hands. Antonio chuckled.

"What a sight."

"Ha-ha," Mike set the tray down on the table, "He's hungry and he's still a little sore. He took on Xandred, dude, the least I can do is make him breakfast."

"What about the others?" Antonio looked to Jayden, "Do they know?"

"Not yet," Jayden chuckled. "Mia and Kevin aren't up yet, I haven't seen Ji at all, and Emily and Serena raced out of here so quickly, they didn't see me."

"Raced out?" Antonio frowned. He knew Serena had school to get to, but Emily didn't go to school. Mike nodded his head.

"There's been an incident… involving a staff member," he tried to explain it all without saying a word about what happened to James. He had told the older man the night before that what happened, while embarrassing, wasn't then end of the world, but Mike did appreciate just how humiliating it all was for James. So many people knew already that it was best to keep the rest of the team in the dark. "Emily heard about it and it has shaken her up a bit. Serena's spending time with her, hoping eventually Emily will talk about it."

"What is it?"

"Uh…"

"It's trending on Twitter now," the three Rangers turned to the hallway and saw James. For Jayden this wasn't big news, but Antonio and Mike were shocked. They hadn't seen him leave his room in days. James walked in and smiled when he saw Jayden. He gave the red Ranger a hug, happy to see the young man was finally awake.

"Trending on…?"

"Teacherporno. Serena's probably working overtime today trying to make sure I keep my job."

"Let's hope you do," Mike said sympathetically while Antonio picked up his laptop and started looking up the news with Jayden. They got onto twitter, saw the pictures for two seconds, and then Antonio slammed the laptop shut.

"Whoa."

"My ex did that to try and hurt Serena," James explained. "It's… uh… it's real."

"Whoa."

"But her plan's not going to work," James looked to Mike specifically, "I'm not letting her win. She can ruin my career, she can ruin my reputation, but she's not ruining my relationship with Serena."

"That's the spirit," Mike said. James nodded his head. Before Jayden or Antonio could ask any more questions (not that they wanted to) he gave them a smile.

"Besides, we've got bigger problems to worry about. With Xandred back, we need the team to be as strong as possible."

"My thoughts exactly," Jayden nodded. With a little help from Antonio he got up to his feet and led the way to the training area outside, "Someone, go get Mia and Kevin."

-Samurai-

"Thank you!" Serena plucked a cell phone from a student's hand as she walked by them in the hall. A big part of her job now was making sure the students weren't looking at the pictures of their two teachers that had been posted for the world to see. There had already been assemblies and announcements, and Serena had personally gone to every single class to address the issue, but the teenagers in the school were curious and wanted to know exactly what was going on. The only thing Serena could think of doing was confiscating everything that could connect them to the internet while they were on school grounds. "I've got friends in Japan I would love to speak to."

"You can't just…"

"You can have it back at the end of the day," Serena told the student. "Don't worry, if someone calls I'll take a message."

The student grumbled, but everyone knew it was best not to pick a fight with Serena. He walked off with his friends, muttering a few words Serena wished not to repeat. Serena just shook her head and passed the cellphone to Emily.

"Gotta love technology, huh, Emy?"

"Why does everyone have a phone?" Emily asked. She placed the phone in the bag she was carrying, along with the others, "back home, the schools still have pay phones. That's it."

"Internet also sucks," Serena chuckled. She ruffled her sister's hair, "but we also spend more time outdoors. We get real tans and better produce."

"Do you miss it?"

"Of course. Do you?"

"Thank you," Serena took another phone from a student and passed it to Emily. Emily dumped it in the bag, "I miss it, but we're going back."

"Yeah," Emily sighed. The bell rang, marking the start of class. Students raced through the halls, hoping to reach their class before they were marked late. When the hallways were cleared, Emily took a seat on the bench. Serena sat beside her.

"We've got a little over an hour to ourselves," she said, "You and I can sit out here, or I can introduce you to Jen. She is James' co-coach."

"Does she know about… you know?" Emily asked. Serena looked to her sister hopefully. It was the first time Emily was addressing pictures and opening up a conversation about them. Serena hoped this meant she was willing to talk.

"Yeah. She rescued me from it," she nodded her head. "She's the one who kept me from freaking out at James."

"You're not mad at him? That was…"

"No guy is ever going to be perfect," Serena said. "Looking for the perfect guy will lead you to disappointment. Just look at Mike. He's made plenty of mistakes."

"But he's a good guy."

"So is James," Serena smiled. "I know what those pictures look like. I know what they mean. And despite how it may seem, I am disgusted. But as long as I have known James, he's not been that person. He's had a few low points, but he respects me, and he respects himself."

Serena wrapped her arm around Emily's shoulder, "Think you and I are ready to have that talk? It'll clear everything up for you, I promise."

Emily groaned, and then she nodded her head, "If it'll shut you up."

"It'll be quick," Serena chuckled, "You already know the basics."

Emily groaned loudly again. Serena cuddled her sister close. Emily pulled away.

"You're going to make this as uncomfortable as possible, aren't you?"

"You're fun to tease."

"Just talk to me…"

-Samurai-

Everyone was telling him to take it easy, but Jayden wanted to be ready for the next Nighlok attack. He didn't want to let the team down. He didn't want Xandred and the Nighlok to know he could be taken out easily.

As he trained with Antonio he heard about what happened while he had been out. He now knew his team had been terrified after seeing Xandred and it made him angry, not his team, but Xandred. Jayden didn't want his team to think this war was hopeless, even for just a second, but he remembered how that fight went down. He remembered Xandred drying up, almost completely, and yet the Rangers still got their asses kicked. Jayden knew he had almost died. Xandred would never know he came close to winning. The Nighlok were never going to know they had almost defeated the Rangers. The team needed to appear strong. Jayden knew if he could come back in the first fight right after taking on Xandred, it would turn the table to his advantage just a little bit, which could mean the difference between a win and a loss.

Jayden lost track of time, because before he knew it, the Gate to the Shiba House opened and Emily and Serena walked in. Antonio chuckled and backed away from Jayden as she sisters spotted him up and about. Emily dropped her bag and raced over, leaping into Jayden's arms.

"You're awake!"

"And injured," Serena chuckled as she walked over and slowly pulled her sister away from Jayden, "Careful, Em."

"If Xandred didn't kill me, Emily's hug won't either," Jayden smiled as Serena pulled him in for a gentle hug.

"You're already training?" Emily asked, finding it strange that Jayden had just woken up and he was back on the mat, leading the team like nothing had happened. She had been in his position before, too sore to move, and had taken a couple of days to just relax. Jayden never wanted to stay confined to his bed.

"We can't let the Nighlok think they're winning," Jayden nodded his head. "They'll press the advantage if they do. We're strong enough to take them, but we'll take all the help we can get."

"And we'll need to work together."

Serena looked up, hearing a familiar voice. Up the stairs, by the door was James. He was carrying a few towels in his hand for the Rangers, but more importantly, he was out of his room. He gave her a smile, "I told the others about the pictures."

"You told them?"

"More like showed," Mia muttered, "There are some things I wish I could remember forever, and others I wish I could forget. Guess where that falls."

"You think you're scarred?" Emily whispered to Mia, "Just wait until I tell you about _my_ day."

"You and Serena finally talked?" Mike asked.

"You know how I understand stuff better when I can picture it," Emily asked and Mike nodded his head, "Well, Serena decided I… let's just say I'm never buying school supplies ever again. While's we're at it, you and I are never doing what we saw. That's the page I'm on."

"Alright. Same page, then."

Mia stepped away from the couple, "I'm going to shower and then slam my head into a wall until I've got amnesia. I don't care if it's four years or my entire life that disappears, as long as I forget those pictures and that conversation."

As Mia walked into the house, she passed by Serena and James, who had stepped aside to talk. James took Serena's hand in his and gave her a bright smile.

"Thanks for sticking up for me," he said, "How's the school?"

"Stevens hates us both now," Serena chuckled, "I'm the school ghost and you're the pervert."

"Great…"

"And… as for your job…," Serena sighed loudly, "You haven't lost it… yet."

"What's happening?"

"You have to meet with Principal Grump and the superintendent to discuss what happened," Serena said. "You'll tell your side of the story and they'll probably ask you a bunch of questions on how the pictures got into the school and how they ended up in the student's hands. At best, you convince them this was all Marissa's fault, and steps are taken for you to eventually come back into the school… at worse…"

"I lose my job?"

Serena nodded her head. She pulled James into her arms, "Those pictures weren't taken on school grounds, and you're not the one who put them there. You're innocent…"

"I'm a teacher, Serena. In the adult world I can eventually bounce back from this but students, even high school students are…"

"Impressionable."

James nodded, "I know what those pictures look like. I know the story behind what happened those weeks. The students won't. You know how they talk, you know how rumours start…"

"I've heard a few."

"I've been thinking," James nodded, "I love my students and I wish them the best, but I can't go back to that school and pretend nothing ever happened. I'll give them the wrong idea, I won't have their respect… it'll be a mess."

"So what are you going to do?"

"If you still trust me with Terran…"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I think… I want to be a stay at home dad."

"You're not going back? James…"

"Marissa isn't winning," James shook his head, "I'll go into the school and I'll talk with the superintendent and Stevens, but even if they offer me my job, I won't take it. I've got enough money saved up for now, and you'll still be working."

"Maybe, maybe not," Serena pulled her Samuraizer out of her pocket, "Nighlok don't wait until 3:15. If Stevens thinks I'm unreliable now, wait until I'm really the white Ranger."

"You can stay here, free of charge," Ji cut in with a smile. "After all, this is the home of the Samurai Ranger."

"You already pay for my meals and… Ji, that's too much… Terran's like a black hole when it comes to money…"

"This is a big house," Ji said, "Once it worked for just Jayden and I, but now everyone has their place. We would be lonely without you three."

"Just until they defeat Xandred," James promised Ji, "We'll figure something out after that."

Ji nodded his head. Serena looked to him. She knew this was her home, but she took a certain pride in being able to care for her own son. Terran was her child, her responsibility. She didn't want Ji to provide for him.

Ji seemed to notice her reluctance to agree. He knew James had enough money saved up to afford being out of work for the next little while, and he was sure the coach would be doing enough around the house to earn his stay. He was, after all, a coach. That alone would come in handy when the Rangers trained. He knew enough about proper exercise and diet, and knew how to properly push his students so they could grow in their skills. Serena, however, was always strapped for money. As she had stated, Terran was like a black hole. She made enough money to provide for him and keep a bit of money on the side for a rainy day, but she had nowhere near enough to stay comfortable during unemployment. Unfortunately, her duties as white Ranger left her with very little choice. Either she took up her Ranger responsibilities and cut down her hours at the school, if not stopped work all together, or she give up on being the white Ranger to keep her job. The latter didn't seem very likely.

Ji placed his hand on her shoulder comfortingly, "Terran is like family to me. Any time or money spent on him is never wasted. I would be more than happy to provide him with anything he needs."

"He's my son, Ji…"

"And my grandson," Ji nodded, "Let me spoil him, at least until Xandred is defeated for good. After that, we'll make other arrangements."

Serena took a deep breath. She looked to James, "Are you sure you want to give up teaching?"

"Maybe when Terran's older I can coach his sports teams," James shrugged his shoulders. He wrapped his arms around Serena, "I've thought about this all day, Serena, and the idea is getting more and more appealing. I want to be a stay at home dad."

"Okay," Serena nodded. "I… I guess we'll talk with the school."

"Just quit."

"Not until June," Serena said. "I'll cut my hours down, so it's not unusual that I don't show up all the time, or that I leave before the end of the day, but I can't leave those kids. Especially after your little scandal."

"Ha-ha."

Over on the mats, Jayden and Antonio had stayed back to clean up while the others went inside to shower. Jayden couldn't help but overheard bits and pieces of Serena and James' conversation, and eventually he turned to Antonio.

"What white Ranger?"

"Serena's joining the team."

"She… she is?" Jayden frowned and looked to Serena briefly before turning back to Antonio, "Why?"

"Why does that surprise you?" Antonio chuckled, "She's been talking about getting more involved for a while now."

"Not as a Ranger."

"Moral was very low while you were out," Antonio said, "And seeing you laid up, and seeing the damage Xandred caused, do you really think Serena would be comfortable just watching us run into battle without her? Especially with her baby sister fighting in her place."

"I guess not," Jayden shook his head. He looked to Serena again until Antonio nudged him gently, "Ow!"

"Sorry. You just… you don't look too excited. We're up to seven Rangers now. That'll definitely show the Nighlok we're getting stronger."

"I just need to talk to Serena about something."

"Can it wait?" Antonio pulled Jayden into his arms, "I just got you back."

Jayden smiled and wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, "Yeah, it can wait."


	159. Talks and Trouble

Jayden had nothing against the white Ranger. In fact, he thought it was a smart idea. He wanted to show the Nighlok that nothing could stop the Rangers, so his comeback in the next battle, as well as the addition of yet another Ranger would certainly throw them for a loop and hopefully send them away feeling scared.

However, Serena knew his secret. She knew the truth, and Jayden was worried she would somehow give it away to the Rangers or the Nighlok. It wasn't something she would do intentionally, but Jayden had to take every precaution necessary to protect everyone. The time was coming, he could feel it; but right now wasn't it.

As she walked by, having just put Terran down for bed, Jayden grabbed her and pulled her into the study. He closed the door and whispered, "We need to talk."

"What about?" Serena asked.

"You as white Ranger."

"You're not changing my mind," Serena shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. "Jay, Xandred…"

"Can't find out about me," Jayden said. "I don't care what you do, Serena, I'm your…"

"I'm not giving away your little secret," Serena said. "I want her safe just as much as you do."

"You do?"

"Of course, Jay," Serena nodded her head, "Look, the Nighlok have no idea you're hiding something from the Rangers. They have no idea about any of this, and if they do, don't you think they'll come after me? Xandred's just resurfaced so we're obviously going to pull out all the stops. If they don't know about your secret, we can't blow it. If they do, they'll think I'm her and they'll come after me."

"They'll only think you're her if you stick close to me," Jayden said. "As long as your identity is a secret to them, we might be able to fool them. We might actually be able to throw them off for a lot longer if your identity is a secret."

"What?"

"Dayu thinks you're dead, right?"

"I think so…"

"All the Nighlok probably think you're dead. As long as you do nothing to give yourself away, the white Ranger can be a mysterious white Ranger. Xandred, Serrator, all the Nighlok won't know who you are. They won't know how to hurt you, they won't know your weaknesses… it's perfect!"

"That might work," Serena nodded her head. She liked the fact that she could be the Rangers' secret weapon, especially when it meant she could kick ass without making any personal enemies. Of course, the white Ranger would have many, but Serena wouldn't. However, she could tell there was going to be a catch. She looked to Jayden, waiting for him to say it.

"You'll have to stick close to me," he said. "You'll have to protect me. Xandred kicked my ass, and he thinks I'm the one with the sealing power. If you stand by me and fight with me, it'll keep the focus on me, like intended. You'll have to leave the others to fight, especially…"

"No."

"Serena, if you choose her over me, or even over yourself, the Nighlok are going to know who you are. Emily's strong; she can take a few bumps…"

"No," Serena shook her head. "I told you, Jay, I'll keep your secret unless it puts her or any of the other Rangers in danger."

"I don't want to see them hurt either, but when you're the white Ranger, I need to be your very top priority. Emily can come second, but…"

"No!"

"Serena, if they find out who you are, how do you think they're going to try and destroy you?" Jayden asked. Serena turned away. She knew the answer, but she didn't want to admit. Jayden forced her to face it, though. "They'll go after Emily, or James, or Terran. I'm asking you to protect me, not only because it'll protect me and her, but because it'll protect them too."

Serena growled, "Fine. But if anything happens to any of them because of this, I'm coming after you."

"Nothing's going to happen," Jayden smiled. He touched Serena's arm, "I'm not heartless. The Nighlok expect me to do everything I can to protect them. It's how I've been from the start. If all goes as planned, no one's getting hurt."

He rubbed Serena's arm comfortingly before leaving the room. Serena groaned loudly as she followed him.

"You just had to say it, didn't you?"

-Samurai-

James wasn't going back to school until tomorrow to talk to the principal and announce his decision to quit, but his whole day revolved around that. He needed to plan what he was going to say, and he wanted to make sure everyone knew he wasn't quitting because Marissa had won. Of course, he loved his job and if she hadn't of posted those pictures he never would have thought of quitting, but he felt this was the right decision. He had a new family now. He was getting married, he had a son, and he had gotten himself wrapped up in the war against the Nighlok. The best thing for himself, for his students, and for his family was to take a step back and focus on this new life.

As he finished writing up a letter to Jen, explaining everything, he reached for another paper, where he had his speech for Stevens and the superintendent. As he was about to go over it again to make a few adjustments, he saw a shadow walking by the room.

He had told everyone about his pictures, and he had told everyone about his history with Marissa, except Emily. He couldn't remember saying two words to her since the whole incident started. He knew she knew about it. She was one of the first people in the house to see the pictures. It was humiliating for him, and confusing and conflicting for her.

The shadow, he knew, belonged to Emily. She had spotted him in the common room and was changing her mind about watching some TV with Terran. James called her name before she walked off though. Very nervously, and very slowly, she appeared in the doorway.

"Maybe we should talk."

Emily shook her head, "Serena… we… I don't…" she shook her head again, unable to form words. He was humiliated, she was embarrassed. Neither wanted to talk about what had happened, but if they wanted to be a family again for Serena and Terran they were going to have to.

"You know I would never… I love… What you saw… You know, it's a nice day for a walk. I'll get the stroller."

"Uh… okay…" as James left, Emily looked down at Terran, "Start crying. If you love me at all, you'll start crying."

Terran looked up at his aunt and laughed. Her face was red and he found it funny. Emily huffed.

"You're useless."

-Samurai-

"You know how we have drama like… all the time?" Antonio flipped the fish on the grill and then looked to Mia. They were making lunch together for the house and while they waited for everything to be ready, Antonio felt he needed to fill the silence.

"Yes."

"I think I like it," Antonio said and Mia gave him a look, begging that he elaborate. He chuckled, "Think about it. Would you have met Kevin if you hadn't been a Ranger?"

"No."

"And Kevin proposed to you after Dekker kidnapped you and he realized he couldn't live without you, right? There, drama that you can't help but think about with a smile."

Mia rolled her eyes. He did have a point. As much as she hated all the tension and drama in the Shiba House, when the Rangers finally overcame it they were all closer as a group. Some of her best moments with her friends and with Kevin were only possible because of some big fight or some scary, dangerous situation.

"Are you trying to tell me you wanna start some kind of problem?"

"No," Antonio shook his head. He began putting the grilled fish on a plate while Mia finished with the salad. "I just thought it was worth mentioning. A conversation starter, you know."

"You're special, Antonio."

"There's always a bright side," Antonio beamed. Mia playfully tossed a salad leaf at his face.

"You're just optimistic because Jayden's up and about again."

"Are you complaining?"

Mia chuckled and picked up the salad bowl and gestured to the plate of fish, "Just help me carry this inside."

-Samurai-

Emily didn't know why she had agreed to go on this walk. Perhaps it was because she was too embarrassed to speak in front of James, so she couldn't say no.

For the most part the walk was silent. Emily didn't want to talk (she couldn't talk), and any time James started to say something, he immediately stopped. Even Terran was quiet. Emily hoped he would do something cute or make a strange noise as she pushed him in the stroller. Anything to break the tension, but the little boy wouldn't do it. She was starting to think he knew exactly what was going on and wanted to torture his father and aunt.

Suddenly, James grabbed her by the arm, stopping her dead in her tracks.

"Alright, we've really got to talk."

"Nope," Emily shook her head, "I didn't see anything."

"Yes you did," James looked her right in the eye, "Emily, its okay."

"You're going to give me the talk too?" Emily whined. It was awkward enough when her sister had done it, but now James wanted to have a talk with her too.

"I'm not going to give you the talk," James wrinkled his nose, "I'm pretty sure you and I both already know that."

"I know you know it," Emily nodded. "I know it too."

James pointed to a bus bench and he and Emily took a seat. Emily pulled Terran's stroller in close and started to rock it back and forth, hoping he would take the hint and fall asleep. Beside her, James let out a deep sigh.

"I'm human, Emily. What Marissa and I did… yeah, it was dirty, and it wasn't supposed to be made public. I'm humiliated because everyone knows about it, but I did what I did, and there's nothing to be ashamed of about that. Marissa and I had each other's consent. We loved each other when it happened, and we respected each other's limits."

"But you're not with Marissa anymore."

"My history with her doesn't disappear," James said. He gave Emily a soft smile, "I had girlfriends before your sister. That's a fact. That doesn't change how I feel about her, though. It just reinforces it. I know what I want now. I want Serena, and I'm never going to do anything to hurt her, disrespect her, or embarrass her."

"Even if something happens and you break up?"

"Yeah," James nodded his head and gave Emily a gentle nudge, "Why? Are you planning something?"

"No," Emily smirked, "I actually like you, believe it or not."

James chuckled, "I believe it," he got up and looked to Emily, "Do you think we can look each other in the eye now?"

"As long as I never have to see you naked again: yes."

"Good. Now how about we pick up on ice-cream on the way home and spoil your appetite for lunch?"

"Ice-cream? Again?"

"Are you refusing ice-cream?"

"No," Emily laughed, "but I'm starting to think you're all trying to… uh-oh."

"What?" James asked when he saw Emily staring into the distance. He turned around and saw a crowd of people racing towards him. None of them were paying any attention to where they were going. As they came in closer, James grabbed the stroller and Emily, pulling them both to the side avoiding the stampede. He didn't want to get trampled.

Behind the wave of people, just as James and Emily expected, was a Nighlok. Emily pulled out her Samuraizer and she saw it was already beeping. The others would arrive soon.

"Take Terran and hide," Emily lifted Terran out of the stroller and put him in James' arms. He didn't want to run, but he knew it was best. Emily was a Samurai and Terran needed to be protected. Still, he didn't plan on running far. He turned the corner and ducked behind the wall, seating himself on the ground. He held Terran close to his chest, keeping him safe and trying to fool him into believing everything was okay by rocking him playfully.

After a few moments, Emily turned the corner, flashing James a smile, "The Nighlok's gone," she whispered. She reached her hand out and gently brushed his shoulder. James felt a slight tingle and looked up. Before he could ask what happened his vision faded to black.

His body disappeared completely, as though sucked right into Emily's hand. She smirked and then turned back into the Nighlok.

"Too easy," he cackled. He looked to the ground. The baby hadn't been missed by him. The poor child was crying. Though he hadn't been dropped from very high, he was still crying out in pain. The Nighlok picked him up, "The Rangers won't be able to resist this child. Master Serrator will be pleased."

Just like with James, Terran was sucked up into the Nighlok's hand and disappeared completely. The Nighlok, satisfied with his choice, shifted shapes, transforming into an exact copy of Terran. He hit the ground and screamed loudly.

Just down the street, the six Rangers arrived only to find the place deserted. They slowed to a stop and looked around.

"The Gap Sensor said right here," Kevin stated.

"This area," Jayden reminded him, "It could be any of these streets…"

Serena looked around at the litter on the ground, the overturned patio chairs, the signs that had been knocked down; these were all indications of a Nighlok sighting. They were in the right place.

"He was here," she said and suddenly paused, freezing in her tracks.

"White…" on the way, the Rangers had been informed of Jayden's plan to keep Serena the mystery Ranger. Despite the secret identities, the Nighlok all knew who the Rangers were. However, just like Antonio, Serena was the very first Ranger of her colour. The Nighlok wouldn't know who she was or where she came from, giving the Rangers a slight advantage. Part of keeping that advantage was doing nothing that would give her identity away. Calling her by her colour instead of her name meant the secret was safe.

"Shh," Serena hushed Mia and the Rangers all heard it. A baby was crying. Serena suddenly darted off towards the source of the crying.

"White!" Mike called after her, trying to catch up. Serena powered down as she reached a building and slowly and carefully turned the corner, hoping this wasn't a trap. She knew that cry. A thousand babies could cry, but she recognized that one.

"Terran," Serena gently lifted her son from the pavement and tried to sooth him as she looked around. James and Emily had taken him with them on their walk and she knew they would never leave him alone, especially if a Nighlok turned up. The team gathered behind her, powering down as well.

"The Nighlok's obviously gone," Antonio said. "We should take Terran home. Ji can have a look at him."

Serena nodded but had another look around, "James and Emily were with him…"

"Then they can't be far," Mia assured Serena. "You guys head home. Make sure Terran's okay. Kevin and I will look around for James and Emily."

Serena sighed. She didn't want to go, but Terran was screaming and she couldn't ignore him. James and Emily were strong enough to take care of themselves for a little while.

"Call me as soon as you find them," Serena said.

"Promise," Kevin nodded. Antonio and Jayden started to lead Serena away, while doing their own mini-check up on Terran. Mike lingered back for a moment, hesitant to leave. Kevin waved him off, "Go, Mike. The Gap Sensor went off ten minutes ago. I'm sure James and Emily are fine."

"Fine enough to leave Terran alone on the sidewalk?"

"Terran needs his uncle Mike," Kevin said. "We'll let you know as soon as we know anything."


	160. Keep Trying

Serena was trembling. Not only did she feel like she failed her first Nighlok battle as the white Ranger (they never found him), but her son was hurt and her fiancé and sister were both missing. She had found Terran alone on the streets, screaming loudly for someone to comfort him. All signs indicated there had been a Nighlok attack. Emily would have stayed to fight. She would have waited for the others to turn up to help. James would have hidden somewhere with Terran. He never would have left the young boy alone, and Emily would never have let anything happen to Terran or James.

"I'm sure they're fine," Antonio rubbed her back gently as they walked home. Terran was still screaming, in pain from being dropped onto the pavement. If Serena didn't have enough to worry about, Terran was definitely concerning for her. She cuddled him close. There was nothing she could do for his pain, but she could try to make him comfortable and let him know she would take care of him.

"We're almost home," Jayden said and he looked quite relieved as the Shiba Gates appeared. He was still in quite a bit of pain from Xandred's attack. He tried to hide it, but everyone knew he was hurting. Antonio moved away from Serena to help Jayden walk the rest of the way.

Just before Serena reached the Gates she stopped and turned around. Mike was trailing behind the group. He was also worried.

"James will keep her safe," Serena promised.

"Yeah," Mike nodded his head, "Hopefully they're together…" Mike put his hand on her back and guided her to the Gates, "C'mon. Let's have Ji look at the little monst…"

Before Mike could complete his sentence, Serena was thrown away from him by an unseen force. Terran was knocked out of her arms and flung even further back. Mike, just from being in close proximity to the two, was knocked off his feet.

"What the hell?" he spit out some dirt from his mouth and looked to the gate. Dark red symbols appeared, surrounded by flames. The grass where Serena had been standing was scorched by flames. Antonio and Jayden rushed over. Ji ran out from the house.

"What happened?" he asked.

Jayden pulled Mike up to his feet, "The protective symbols are acting up," he said. "They won't let them in."

Antonio carefully helped Serena to her feet and kept his hands close to her as she stood; worried she might hurt herself again. Serena, however, couldn't care less about herself. Terran had been ripped from her arms by the protective barrier. He had been thrown through the air. He was already hurt. She was hurt. This had been enough to kill him.

"Terran!" she screamed, hoping to hear his cry. Instead, she heard leaves crunching and a twig snap. A figure disappeared into the forest, racing away quickly. Serena took off after him.

"Was someone following us?" Antonio asked as Jayden and Mike ran by, trying to keep up with Serena. He started to run as well, not wanting any of them to get too far.

-Samurai-

Mia and Kevin searched the city, but the longer they took the harder it was getting.

They assumed Emily and James couldn't have gone very far. Neither of them would have left Terran behind, especially on the pavement, but they both understood Nighlok battles were unpredictable. If something had happened, forcing both James and Emily to jump into the fight, perhaps it was safest for Terran to stay on the ground, out of sight.

Unfortunately, the reasons for leaving Terran alone weren't good. One possibility was that the Nighlok hurt Emily and James had to step in. Considering they hadn't come back for Terran, it was also possible James had gotten hurt as well. No buildings had collapsed, nothing had been destroyed, so there was no worry of them being trapped under something, but there was still a list of things that could have happened. The Nighlok could have also taken off with them and left Terran behind, not wanting to deal with a child and unaware the child was a Nighlok.

Mia suddenly felt Kevin's arms wrap around her. It was times like these where she really felt like the mother of the team. Anything, anything at all, could have happened to her little Emy and James, and Mia had no idea.

"She's not picking up her Samuraizer," Kevin said. "And I've tried James' cell. The cops are starting to come around, there's the cleaning crew and the paramedics; we should probably leave before they see us and ask questions."

"They're missing, Kev…"

"I know," he pulled her in and held her comfortingly; "I'm worried too. But we've looked everywhere. They aren't here. We should meet up with the others and…"

His Samuraizer interrupted him. Kevin had called Emily and James so many times and he had left just as many messages. He hoped this was them calling him back.

"Where are you…?"

"Something kidnapped Terran," Serena's voice panted on the other end, "I think…" it sounded like she had been running for hours. Kevin looked to Mia. His face fell. Instantly Mia knew to expect bad news.

"You barely even made an appearance as white," Kevin replied to Serena, "Everyone's already going after your family…"

"I think," Serena repeated. "I think they kidnapped Terran."

"Well, is he with you or not?"

"No, but just as we were about to head inside the protective symbols blocked us out. They're not supposed to do that to Terran. Ji says they're working just fine… I think wherever James and Emily went… Terran's with them."

"Is that a good thing?"

"It's the best we can hope for," there was a loud sigh on Serena's end; "We're back at the house and looking at the map. Emily's signal was right on top of the Nighlok's when she suddenly disappeared."

"If he killed her or James or Terran, we would have found a body," Kevin assured Serena. "Mia and I are on our way home."

Kevin hung up and looked to Mia. He gave her a comforting squeeze.

"We'll figure it out when we get home," he told her, "but Serena thinks the Terran we found isn't Terran."

"You say that like it's a good thing."

"Considering the fact that the Terran we found was just kidnapped, yeah, it's a good thing," Kevin said and Mia gasped. He hugged her tight, "but if that wasn't Terran, he might be with Emily and James."

"Wherever they are."

"We'll find them," Kevin assured her, "and we'll start by going home and seeing for ourselves what happened."

-Samurai-

James had no idea where he was, but he knew he wasn't home. He was nowhere near home.

He couldn't remember much from the Nighlok battle, but he did remember Emily had done this to him, only he knew it wasn't her. She was here, in this frozen jungle with him, swearing that the Nighlok had done exactly the same thing to her. When James mentioned seeing her, they both came to the conclusion that the Nighlok was a shape-shifter.

Emily remembered seeing it in one of Ji's books once. She only remembered it because the thought of a shape-shifting Nighlok terrified her. It was a monster who could take on the image of someone she trusted completely, and it could use that trust to hurt her or her friends. The Nighlok could take on the image of any human it claimed by sucking them inside his body, where they lived in his own little jungle forever, or until the Rangers destroyed him.

James looked around the jungle. He, Emily, and Terran weren't alone. The other humans the Nighlok had sucked up where in the jungle with them, but they were huddled in their own groups. Some were here with friends and family and some found themselves alone but managed to find someone else to sit with. James and Emily had their own little corner to sit in, and were warmed by the fire another group had generously made for them.

Emily sat on the frozen ground. There was no snow or ice, but it was definitely cold enough for it. She rocked Terran in her arms and hummed his lullaby. He was shaken up from being dropped by James, and James felt guilty for it. There had been nothing he could do. When the Nighlok took his body he had been forced to let go of Terran, but it was still a horrible feeling knowing he had harmed his son.

Eventually, Terran settled. Emily hugged him to her chest for warmth and wished she had brought a sweater or something to wrap him in. All she had was his blanket, the blanket she had bought him long before he was born. He never went anywhere without it and right now it was the only thing keeping him from freezing to death. Emily made sure to cover as much of his skin as possible with either the blanket or her own body. She trembled as she worked to keep him warm, but nothing would stop her from keeping him alive.

Suddenly, she felt someone press into her. She knew instant who it was and her stomach churned. She trusted James, but this was still awkward. The pictures of his weeks with Marissa were still fresh in her mind. James seemed to know but he pulled her in closer and adjusted her so they were all a little closer to the fire.

"We'll need to stay warm," he told her. "This is the best way to do it."

"I hope they defeat the Nighlok soon…"

"They will," James nodded. He looked up at the sky. Unlike on earth, this sky was pitch black. This world, the stomach of the Nighlok as he called it, was lit up, but it wasn't by the sky. There was no sun, no moon, and no stars. "I doubt we're useless from in here, though. We're inside the Nighlok."

"So?"

"There's got to be something we can do," he lowered his voice so he was whispering in his ear. He knew the secret identity of the Rangers could be ignored if it meant life or death, but as long as it was possible to keep it a secret, James knew it was best, "After all, there is a Samurai in here. Surely you know a symbol or something that can be used against the Nighlok."

Emily shook her head, "I'm not like Jayden, Mia, Kevin, or Serena. I don't know Japanese. I know the symbols I was taught. That's it."

"We'll think of something," James assured her. He hugged her close. This was never a position he ever thought he would find himself in, at least, not with his fiancée's kid sister, and it was made more awkward by the photos Marissa had shown the world. Though he and Emily had reached an understanding about what they would do from this point on, their relationship was still… weird and uncomfortable. Emily didn't want to know what James had done with past women, or what he was capable of doing to her sister. It was something she would prefer to ignore. James felt embarrassed by the pictures. It was bad enough his co-workers and friends had all seen them, and they were all adults. He felt even more disgusting because his students, children, had seen the pictures. Many of his students were Emily's age. Were it not for her responsibilities as a Samurai, she would have been a senior in high school. James wasn't going back to school because he felt it wasn't right returning to those kids after exposing them to something so… dirty and complicated and confusing. He felt the same way with Emily. She was so much more mature than most of the seniors, but she was still a kid.

"I'm sorry," he whispered to her, "It was only a little while ago, but I was stupid back then. I have a right to a private life, but I should have known nothing's private when it's…"

"Photographed?" Emily said. James nodded his head.

"I don't regret being in love with Marissa. I don't regret what I did… but looking back now, I wish I had been smarter about it. I should have had more respect for myself and for Marissa."

"Marissa's the one who should have had more respect for you. If you had those pictures you never would have humiliated her like that."

James nodded his head. He gave Emily a gentle squeeze, "We'll get out of here, monster, and when we do I want you to promise me something."

"What?"

"You'll always have more respect for yourself than I did back then."

"You're allowed some fun…"

"Fun should always stay fun," James said. "I could have had the same kind of fun without this humiliation. I was just… stupid. Always expect nothing less than love, kindness, and respect."

"I don't think I have to worry about that," Emily smiled. She shifted Terran around in her arms to look at her engagement ring.

James let out a small chuckle, "And burn any evidence that could come back to bite you in the ass. Memories are good enough, and only you can choose who to share those with."

Emily nodded her head and continued to look at her ring. Suddenly she had a thought.

"What did you think of my family's farm?"

"Em, right now your pig pen seems like an oasis to me."

"Mike and I are going to get married there," she looked up at James, "and I know Serena's always liked the thought of having her wedding on the farm."

"I remember her suggesting that," James nodded.

"Well… what if we share a memory?"

"A double wedding?" James asked. Emily nodded her head. He smiled, "One condition."

"What?"

"We get out of here."

Emily put Terran in James' arms and pulled out her Samuraizer, "I guess I can try a few symbols. Cover me, though. Don't let the others see."


	161. Nighlok Bites The Dust

Serena's eyes were glued to the map. It was her best hope of finding James, Terran, and Emily. She went back, over and over again, and tried to figure out what had happened to them. James didn't have a signal on the map, but Serena could assume he had been with Emily and Terran when their signals dropped.

"Look," Mike said, pointing to the Nighlok's symbol, "It's the only one that doesn't disappear."

"So he's still out there somewhere," Jayden nodded. Serena advanced the time on the map and her fears were confirmed. She hadn't been bringing Terran home. The Nighlok had somehow disguised himself as her son. She showed the others. Ji pulled out a book from his bookshelf.

"I always hoped we would never see this Nighlok," Ji turned off the map and set the book on the table. "This Nighlok is a shape-shifter."

"So what?" Mike asked, "We'll defeat him just like we've defeated every other Nighlok."

"He absorbs the bodies he wishes to turn into," Ji said.

"Wait a minute," Serena frowned. She glanced at the book on the table and then she looked up at Ji, "You mean that Nighlok absorbed Terran? Terran is _inside_ that monster we're trying to defeat?"

"I'm checking police reports," Antonio walked to the printed and pulled up a page, "Thirty-eight people have been reported missing in the last twenty-four hours."

"If we count Emily, Terran, and James, that makes forty-one," Kevin nodded his head. "This Nighlok can turn into forty-one different people, as far as we know. He could be in the city right now."

"The Gap Sensor would still pick up his Nighlok signal," Jayden assured the Rangers. "We would know where he is…"

"Just not who he is," Mia said. "The Gap Sensor can only do so much. If this Nighlok can blend in with everyone, no one's going to know he's there. No one's going to run screaming."

"He'll choose a populated area, then," Kevin said. Antonio picked up the police reports.

"We've got a few faces," he said, "We'll look out for these people. If we see them, there's a pretty good chance they are the Nighlok."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Kevin asked, "Let's go Nighlok hunting."

The Rangers hurried out but Jayden didn't go with them. As Serena ran by he grabbed her arm.

"What?" she turned around. Jayden just gave her a look. She groaned. "That Nighlok has my entire family, Jay. I'm kicking his ass."

"You've barely been in a single fight and your identity is already compromised," Jayden told her. "If that Nighlok was Terran…"

"I powered down before he saw me," Serena groaned. "I'm kicking his ass, Jayden, and you can't…"

"That Nighlok can turn himself into Terran, and maybe James and Emily. If he finds out who you are and what they mean to you…"

"He probably knows Emily's a Ranger. He might turn into her when we find him, anyways."

"Then you'll have to fight him. You can't hesitate. If he looks like Emily, or James, or Terran, or anyone else, you can't hesitate."

"Fine, can we go now?" Serena asked. Jayden let go of her arm and she darted off. He looked to Mentor Ji, slightly worried. Ji gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"Serena will do what she thinks is best for her family and this team."

"What if she does something to give herself away?"

"You can do your best to make sure that doesn't happen, but ultimately the choice is hers," Ji gestured to the door, "Your team is waiting for you."

-Samurai-

"Do you know the symbol for freedom?" James asked. Emily shook her head. She hated studying, but at this moment she wished she had spent more time with her nose in a book. Terran had woken up and realized his stomach was empty. Unfortunately there was no way to feed him. There were no bottles in this frozen jungle and Serena was nowhere near.

"We have to get out of here soon," all Emily felt she could do for her nephew was keep him warm and comfortable, but it wasn't enough. Terran was hungry, he was scared and he was hurt. Emily had faith her friends were coming for her, but now it was starting to seem like it wouldn't come soon enough. Cold, hungry, tired… she didn't know how long they had.

"We will," James hugged her and Terran close. He tried to keep them both as warm as possible. "Just keep trying those symbols. We'll get nowhere if you give up."

Emily nodded her head and gripped her Samuraizer tight. She watched as Terran transformed into a Nighlok. She knew she needed to keep working, but first, the fire was starting to dwindle down. She wasn't the forest Samurai, but hers and Mike's element were so closely connected, she knew how to make wood for fire. She traced the symbol and a few extra logs appeared in the flames, making them grow and warming her, Terran, and James just a little more.

-Samurai-

In the warm city, the Rangers followed the Nighlok's signal into the plaza. Just as Kevin had predicted, the Nighlok was choosing to hide amongst the crowd and blended in with a large group of people. Because he was a shape-shifter and he had captured so many humans, the Rangers had no idea what to look for.

"Don't let anyone touch you," Jayden said to his team, "the Nighlok captures you by touch."

"There's got to be a way to draw him out," Kevin looked around the plaza. No one seemed to be behaving strangely, though it was hard to tell with people he didn't know.

"The Nighlok's got to find some Sanzu Water soon, right?" Mia asked. "If he's been on earth since the Gap Sensor went off, then he's been here for a few hours."

"That's not a bad idea," Serena smirked, "The Nighlok's going to need to rehydrate soon, so he'll jump through a gap. They appear in cracks and crevasses, so we should keep a look out for those."

"We'll split up," Jayden said, "Teams of two. But be careful. Don't trust anyone except your partner and always keep one eye on them. The shape-shifting Nighlok can be anywhere, and he can turn into anyone."

"C'mon," Serena grabbed Mike's arm and started to pull him away, "I've got to find a place to morph before shit hits the fan."

"Maybe you'll draw the Nighlok out," Mike smirked and he followed Serena to a somewhat deserted corner. He hoped maybe if the Nighlok saw a Ranger nearby he would be tempted to come out of hiding.

Serena found a place where no one could see her and she morphed. She gestured for Mike to walk back into the plaza so the civilians wouldn't know he was with the new white Ranger. It would compromise his identity if he was seen walking with her and talking to her. She kept his eye on him and stuck to the shadows, hoping only the Nighlok would take notice.

In their own corner of the plaza, Mia noticed Serena had morphed and turned to Kevin. She subtly pointed to the white Ranger.

"What if we do the same?" she asked. Kevin shook his head.

"We'll be mobbed by fans and haters," he said. "We can't risk it."

"Unless," Mia pulled her Samuraizer out and traced a symbol. As she activated the symbol, flipping it with her Samuraizer, Kevin heard a low roar that sounded like the cry of a Mooger. He wasn't the only one who heard it. A number of people in the plaza stopped what they were doing to look around.

"You're brilliant," Kevin smiled. Mia used another symbol to imitate the Moogers once more, and people started to leave. After a third cry, those who heard the roar rushed off in a panic, startling others. Mia looked over to the corner where Serena was hiding and nodded her head. Serena understood the message and turned to Mike, grabbing his attention. So far she was still the mysterious white Ranger. Not an enemy yet, but also not a hero. Mike, however, was the green Ranger who spent more than a year keeping the city safe. He ducked around a corner and morphed. When he jumped out, he started shouting at people to run to safety. This was the straw that broke the camel's back. Everyone in the plaza started to run away except for the Rangers and one man who stomped his foot angrily.

"Where is everyone going?" he shouted. The Rangers morphed and surrounded him.

"You're caught, Nighlok," Jayden called out, pointing his sword at the man.

"Nighlok?" the man looked around at each of the Rangers, "What are you talking about? I'm just a poor old innocent human."

"Look at his hand," Antonio pointed, "it's starting to crack."

"You're drying up," Mia smirked.

"That means he'll be more likely to flee," Jayden reminded the Rangers. Unlike Xandred, most regular Nighlok couldn't stay on earth for very long once they started to dry up and normally they fled at the first sign of dehydration because their strength was starting to fall dramatically. Right now they had the Nighlok surrounded but there was no telling what he would do once a fight started.

"I guess it's time for me to go," he started to back away, spinning around so he could run, but he suddenly found himself face to face with a Samurai he had never heard of, "There's a white one now? No one ever told me about you!"

Serena didn't say anything and instead she drew her sword and attacked. Even if she couldn't defeat the Nighlok, if she and the others could keep him on earth for a little longer, he would dry up and that would be the end. The others joined her in the fight. If they could keep the Nighlok away from the gaps and if they could keep him from running off, they wouldn't have to worry about trying to find him again.

-Samurai-

James was impressed by how well the fire was holding up. He and Emily had the advantage with her symbol power, but others were finding things to burn in this frozen jungle as well, and their fires were staying strong. Because there was no snow or ice, the branches and plants were dry enough to burn. Everything was freezing cold, but it was all good to burn.

Terran's cries had stopped. He had fallen back to sleep. James wasn't sure it was a good thing. He was so small and so young that the cold affected him so much more than it did anyone else here. Unfortunately, there were only two things James could do, and that was keep him warm and hope they got out of this jungle soon.

Emily had tried her best with her symbols, but nothing worked and she was losing strength fast. She hadn't wanted to give up, but James assured her it was for the best.

"Don't fall asleep," he told her when he saw her eyes closing. Emily shook herself awake and nodded her head. She cuddled Terran closer to her chest and leaned into James.

"Do you think Mike and Serena will still want to marry us if we're popsicles?"

"Of course," James nodded his head, "We just might have to rethink wedding locations. A hot farm is no place for popsicles to get married."

"We can do it in the winter," Emily chuckled, "It gets pretty cold in the winter."

"Good idea."

"I have a few of those sometimes," Emily said and then looked up to the black sky. She couldn't help but wonder if she ever would see her wedding day. Even with the fire roaring, she was getting colder and colder.

Then she saw it. A portion of the sky right over her head faded in colour and suddenly the sky looked like dry, cracked ground.

"We're inside the Nighlok," she muttered. James nodded his head.

"We've been over that…"

"He's drying up!" she pointed to the sky, "He's getting weaker."

More and more cracks started to appear in the sky. Plants and trees in the jungle began to shrivel up. The earth was cracking as well. Everything was losing water.

"There's got to be something I can do to speed this up," Emily put Terran back in James' arms and got to her feet. She pulled her Samuraizer back out and traced a symbol on the ground. James watched as the ground began to harden up and crack. When he touched it with his hand, it was completely dry. The ground all around him started to dry up as well. Emily continued to dry out the earth.

"This would be so much easier if Kevin were around," she muttered, dropping down to her knees.

"You're speeding it up, Em. Keep going! You're doing great!"

-Samurai-

In the city, the Nighlok could feel every part of his body was slowly beginning to crack and he knew he didn't have long. His time would be even shorter if the Rangers didn't stop beating into him. Dehydrated like he was, his movements were slow, making it hard to defend himself and even harder to attack the Rangers.

He had one last idea to get away, and he could only hope it worked.

"Desperate to save your yellow friend?" he asked, morphing into Emily, whom he had faced as the yellow Ranger. He could only hope this would stop the Rangers long enough for him to get away.

When they paused what they were doing, he knew his plan had worked. They couldn't hurt each other. He got up to his feet and decided to flee before it occurred to them that even in their friend's shape, he was still a Nighlok. He started to run for a building with a slight crack in the bricks. He could hear footsteps racing behind him. Someone realized his trick.

"You're not going anywhere!" Jayden cried and swung his sword. Before he could hit, the Nighlok dried up and turned into dust. Jayden swung through the air, throwing himself off balance. He hit the ground hard and was sure he had just given himself bruises on top of bruises, but he couldn't help but smile when he looked up and saw the Nighlok was gone, replaced by a light that burst into the air. The people he had captured materialized in the plaza.

"So that's what happens when they dry up," Antonio said. "I gotta admit, that's pretty cool."

"We should make sure these people are okay," Jayden announced and divided the Rangers up again, sending them towards the different groups of people while they waited for the police and the ambulance to show up. When Jayden finally got to Serena, he pointed over his shoulder. "There's a small group over there. I think they've got a baby. Make sure they're okay."

Serena saw he was pointing to James, Emily and Terran. She smiled behind her helmet and raced over.


	162. A Cold Wait

The Nighlok was gone, the city was safe, but to Serena it didn't feel like a victory at all.

From what she and the other Rangers could gather, the Nighlok had eaten its victims, locking them away in a freezing cold jungle. When it had dried up, they had all been freed, and for some it wasn't a moment too soon. For others…

Many of the victims were in the hospital recovering from hypothermia while they waited for their loved ones to arrive. Doctors were all sure they were going to be okay once they warmed up. The Rangers had gotten to and stopped the Nighlok just in time. But there was only one that left everybody guessing.

Terran was so young and so small the cold had gotten to him quick. By the time Serena got to him, he barely had a pulse and his breathing had slowed down. He wouldn't have a quick recovery like all the others. Doctors were hopeful he would make it, but Serena saw the look in their eyes every time they talked to her.

"_We'll do all we can for him."_

She hated those words.

A pair of arms suddenly wrapped themselves around her, pulling her in. The embrace was slightly cold but Serena leaned back into it.

"How is he?"

"I want to take him home," Serena whispered. James nodded his head.

"Me too. But he's getting the very best care here. He's strong, Serena, he'll pull through."

"He's not strong," Serena shook her head back and forth, "He's just a baby!"

"A baby who made it this far already," James hugged her. "He wouldn't get this far if he wasn't strong enough to be okay. You're a family of fighters, Serena."

"I can't lose him," Serena whispered and she buried herself in James' arms.

-Samurai-

"You're a magnet for trouble, Em," Mike said as he sat with her in her hospital room. She was allowed to go home but knowing her nephew was somewhere else in this hospital fighting for his life she couldn't leave. She sat in her bed, hugging her pillow to her chest. She could still feel Terran's freezing cold body in her arms. Despite hers and James' attempts to keep him warm, he was still suffering from hypothermia. From what Emily had been told, it was a severe case.

The other Rangers were also with her, waiting for news on Terran. They also couldn't leave until they knew something.

"Drying up the Nighlok from the inside was a smart move," Kevin said. "And it's a good thing you had all those fires going. Imagine what would have happened if the Nighlok made it to the gap.

Emily closed her eyes. She know how close the Nighlok had come to rehydrating in the river. If the Nighlok had made it back, she, James, all those people, and Terran would still be freezing inside of him. Terran would likely be dead. The Nighlok had dried up just in time to give him a chance to survive his first Nighlok attack.

Antonio slapped Kevin hard in the chest when he saw Emily close her eyes, "I'm sure she knows exactly what would have happened."

Kevin gave Emily an apologetic look, "Right. Sorry, Em."

"You did all you could for him," Mia took Emily's hand and squeezed it comfortingly, "I'm sure he knows that."

Mike unzipped his sweater and put it around Emily's shoulders, "How about we go check up on Terran?" he helped her out of the bed and took her hand gently. Emily nodded her head and followed him out of the room.

"She's not saying anything," Jayden whispered and looked to the remaining four Rangers.

"Her nephew's in the hospital," Mia said, "I probably wouldn't know what to say either."

"He's our nephew too."

"You know what I mean," Mia rolled her eyes. "Besides, he's going to live. She'll start talking again once she's sure of that."

"Mia…"

"He's going to live, Kevin," Mia growled. She started for the door but heard the boys weren't following her. She turned around and crossed arms over her chest, "Well? I'm sure Terran wants to see all his uncles are here with him."

"He better pull through," Kevin muttered and followed Mia out the door.

-Samurai-

He hadn't been a father for very long, but James was getting the full experience. The highs, the lows; the pride, the joy, and the heartaches.

While he waited on news for his son, he thought back to the good times. He remembered Terran's smile, his laugh, and his strange way of making everyone in the house laugh even at the end of a very bad day. He didn't know if those good memories were a comfort for him, or if they were just torturing him more. What if he never saw his son happy again? What if he never saw his son again?

Serena had fallen asleep with her head on his lap. He was thankful she was out. It was hard enough knowing Terran was somewhere in the hospital clinging on to life, he didn't need to see his fiancée distraught as well. She seemed peaceful as she slept. James tried not to think about how she was really feeling.

"James," he heard a very soft whisper and looked over his shoulder. The other Samurai had finally come to sit with him. Emily let go of Mike's hand and walked over to him. She took the seat beside him.

"We still have no news," James told her. "But when it comes to doctors, no news is good news, right?"

Emily shrugged her shoulders. Mike sat down beside her and wrapped her up in his arms.

"I keep telling her Terran's a fighter," he said. "He'll be just like his aunt. Cold for a little while, but back to normal in no time. You know, this isn't the first case of hypothermia we've dealt with."

"Serena told me," James nodded his head.

"How is she holding up?" Jayden and Antonio sat across from James. Jayden gestured to Serena. James let out a sigh.

"She's a mom, there's no doubt about that."

"Terran will pull through," Mia said confidently. Kevin took her hand and squeezed it, seeing something in her eye he wasn't even sure she knew was there.

James nodded his head and then turned to Emily, "If it helps, the doctors said we did a good job of keeping him warm. He's still alive thanks to us."

"You did all you could for him," Mike lightly kissed her cheek. Emily nestled into his arms and then reached her hand out, taking James'. James gave hers a gentle squeeze.

Finally, the doctor came out.


	163. Unfinished Business

All they could. The doctors had done all they could.

His heart had stopped.

They did all they could.

It wasn't enough.

Serena felt herself leave her body. She watched as she melted into the chair. She didn't feel anything. There was no anger at the doctor, no sadness for her lost son, no feelings of vengeance for the Nighlok who had harmed and killed her baby boy. Serena felt empty. She left her body behind and walked down the halls until she reached Terran's room. The nurses were unplugging the machines, muttering how sad it was to see someone so young die. Serena looked at their faces. How dare they cry. They didn't know Terran. They didn't love him like she did. How dare they feel close enough to her son to cry over his death.

She picked up her son, her dead son. For now, his dead body was warmer than the last time she had touched him. He had been freezing cold when she, the white Ranger, handed him over to the paramedics. She had trusted that they would take good care of him. She trusted that she would see her baby boy smiling again.

With her son in her arms, Serena walked back to the waiting room. She passed by the doctor, who shook his head and dried his tears as he walked away from her and her family. Serena stopped in the doorway and just watched the scene unfold. Her body was still sitting in the chair. James still had his arms wrapped around her tight, but he was too distraught to be of any comfort, not that he would help anyways. Serena wasn't in her body anymore.

Jayden and Kevin were also by her side, trying to get her to say or do something. They were whispering apologies, but unless the apologies would bring her son back to life, Serena didn't want to hear them. She tuned them out and turned to the second group of Samurai. Mia was shaking her head while Kevin tried to talk to her. Serena couldn't quite hear what was being said, but it seemed like Kevin was trying to convince Mia that Terran was actually gone. Meanwhile, right beside them, Mike was holding Emily in his arms, telling her Terran would never really leave.

"Serena…"

She looked down at her son. He looked like he was sleeping in her arms. She adjusted him carefully, so as not to wake him. He didn't even stir as she moved him around. He just lay there, in her arms as peacefully and quietly as she had ever seen him. She hugged him to her chest and kissed his forehead.

"Serena…"

"Mommy loves you," she whispered to him.

"Serena…"

She walked back to her body and put her son in her arms. She returned to her body and hugged him once more, promising nothing would ever try to harm him again. As soon as she said that, he was gone. Her world faded to black, just for a moment, as she closed her eyes.

"Serena."

When she opened her eyes James was staring down at her. Just two seconds before he had tears streaming down his saddened face. Now, he still had tears, but there was a look of sheer joy in his eyes. Serena lifted her head from his lap and looked around. She was still in the waiting room and she was surrounded by her family. There was also the doctor, standing with a smile on his face. How dare he smile. Her son was…

"He's awake, he's responsive, and he's got our nurses laughing with that contagious giggle."

Serena scratched her head, "What the hell?"

"It takes her brain a few extra minutes to wake up," Mike chuckled, nudging the doctor gently and then wrapping both his arms around a smiling Emily. She was bouncing on her heels, eager to get somewhere.

Serena looked around at all the happy faces, "What's everyone so happy about?"

"Terran's going to be okay," James pulled her into his arms. "Serena, he's okay."

"No… but he… he…"

"Would you like to see him?" the doctor asked. Serena didn't need to be told twice. Dead or alive, she was not turning away from her son. She jumped out of her seat. The doctor tried to tell her what room Terran was in, but Serena ignored him. She had maternal instincts. She would find her son.

And she did. Through a door window she saw him. One of his nurses was carrying him while another made him laugh with silly faces. Serena burst into the room. The moment Terran saw her he reached out to her. Serena took him in her arms and showered him in cuddles and kisses.

"You must be the mother," the nurse who had previously been holding him smiled. "He's a little angel."

"A lucky little angel," the second nurse nodded her head. "We thought we were going to lose him for a minute."

Serena couldn't believe this was real. Two minutes ago he had been dead. Now he was alive and better than ever. It was like nothing had ever happened. Though this was unbelievable, she was never letting him go. If this was just a dream, she was never waking up. She would never move from this spot if it meant she could have her son.

"Baby! Baby! Baby!" Emily cheered behind her as she bounced into the room. She planted a kiss on Terran's cheek and tickled him, making him squeal with laughter he reserved just for her. Mike was next. He gave his little nephew a fist-bump (or, at least, the five month old version of a fist bump), and then a kiss on the forehead.

"Don't you ever scare me like that again, little monster," he told him.

James plucked Terran from Serena's arms and cuddled his son, so happy his term as father had not been cut short.

Terran seemed to have no idea why he was getting so much attention, but he loved it. All the hugs and kisses from everyone in the room made him so happy he started to giggle and clap. When that made them happy, they tickled him and played with him, which made him happier. This cycle of giggles and fun continued until Terran was so exhausted he passed out while playing peek-a-boo with his Auntie Emy. He fell back into Serena's arms, dozing off with a huge grin on his face.

-Samurai-

Serrator stood on a ledge overlooking the city. He was disappointed with his first attack as the ruler of the Nighlok, but there was always an upside to all failure. Not only had he learned that it was going to take more than simple tricks to take the Rangers out for good, but he had also seen something that interested him.

"Are you sure you killed her?" Serrator muttered as his … servants approached him. Octoroo and Dayu had chosen to follow him while Xandred recovered at the bottom of the Sanzu River, but Serrator would be a fool for believing they were even the smallest bit loyal to him. Ultimately, he knew he was alone, but he would take advantage of the Nighlok's fear of him while he could. As long as they were too cowardly to try and overthrow him, they were of use to him.

"Serena?" Dayu asked and then nodded her head, "Yeah. I left her to bleed to death…"

"Was she dead when you left her?"

"As good as…"

"I will ask one more time," Serrator turned around and looked Dayu in the eyes, "Was she dead when you left her."

"No."

"The new white Ranger," Octoroo said, "You don't think it's the yellow Ranger's sister, do you?"

"That's impossible," Dayu shook her head, "Even if she didn't die, I made sure she would never walk again. There's no way she's strong enough to…"

"You would be surprised at what humans can accomplish for love," Serrator growled. He gave Dayu a malicious smirk, "Maybe not, now that I think about it. After all, you are the one who gave up everything…"

"Shut up, you two-timing…" Dayu stopped as Serrator held up a hand, indicating she was better off not insulting him. Dayu grumbled under her breath.

"This new white Ranger is definitely going to complicate things. We are, after all, unsure who she is. Of course, that won't matter if she's dead. From now on…"

"No," Octoroo slammed his staff on the ground, "It's the red Ranger we should be going after. It's him who knows the sealing symbol. If we don't finish him off now, Master Xandred will never…"

"Xandred is bound by the red Ranger's symbol," Serrator said, "I am not. If the Rangers think this new white Ranger will help them, we'll have to prove them wrong. Forget the red Ranger for now. The Nighlok have a new favourite colour."

"You're making a big mistake!" Octoroo said. "It's the red Ranger! Without him, the other Samurai are harmless."

Serrator ignored Octoroo and looked right at Dayu, "I have two missions for you, Dayu."

"Two?" Dayu frowned and turned to Octoroo as she wondered why Serrator trusted her alone with two missions while Octoroo got none.

"Make sure Serena is dead," Serrator nodded, "and destroy the white Ranger. I'm generous enough to give you one more chance. Don't screw this up."

"How do I do that?"

"No wonder Xandred could never defeat these Rangers," Serrator sighed loudly as he started to walk away, "He surrounded himself with morons. Do I need to do everything myself?"

"It would give us more time to focus on our real threat," Octoroo nodded his head. "The red Ranger…"

Serrator ripped Octoroo's staff from his hand and smacked him over the head with it.

"Forget the red Ranger, you idiot! Before you defeat him you need to crush his team! I want white's helmet in my hand, is that understood."

"What about a compromise?" Dayu suggested, "I have unfinished business with pink…"

Serrator smacked her as well, "Unfinished business with Serena and the white Ranger. After that you can take out whichever colour makes you happy: red, pink, blue, orange, I don't care. Just do as I ask!"

Serrator stormed off and disappeared into a gap back to the Netherworld while mumbling about Nighlok getting stupider and stupider with each generation that passed. Octoroo picked up his staff from the dirt and rubbed his head.

"Ooh, ah, ooh, what have we gotten ourselves into, Dayu?"

"Let's just do as he says for now," Dayu rolled her eyes. "He'll meet his end soon enough and I'd like to be around to see it happen."


	164. Questions and Concerns

Dayu figured it was best not to piss Serrator off. Though she hated him for what he had done to her and what he had done to Dekker, she knew better than to upset the current leader of the Nighlok army. Serrator was powerful. He had enough strength to rival Xandred. He was also smart. Dayu would never say this out loud, but she was sure he was smarter than Xandred. He knew how this war with the Rangers worked. He knew how to cut them down. He was calm when he lost, striking fear into everyone's hearts that this loss was a part of some big plan.

It was best to stay on his good side and do as he asked. But maybe there was a way to overthrow him. Xandred had suffered quite a bit when he came to the human world and would be at the bottom of the Sanzu River for a long, long time. But perhaps there was a way to speed up his recovery. The more misery she could cause on earth, the more tears would be in the Sanzu River. The more tears she put into the Sanzu River, the more the river rose. The higher the river got, the more powerful it was. The more powerful the river was, the faster Xandred's recovery would be.

But she couldn't disobey Serrator. She didn't want to disobey Serrator. He seemed to think she hadn't killed Serena back at the Ninja Academy. He seemed to think she was the new white Ranger. Dayu needed to find out if he was right or not. If Serena was right, she had a job to finish.

She lurked in the forest just outside the Shiba House. If she was going to find out whether or not Serena was alive, she was going to have to get close to the Rangers.

-Samurai-

"The joys of being an uncle," Mia chuckled as she walked into the common room. It was still early morning but the Rangers were already up and done their morning training. Mia was even showered and ready to get on with her normal day. Kevin was always faster than she was in the shower, mainly because he had so little hair and she had so much. He was usually the first one to be finished in the bathroom and because of that, he was always asked the babysit Terran for a little bit in the morning while the others finished getting ready.

One thing Mia was sure Terran had gotten from Kevin was his clockwork. Every morning, without fail, there was always a present in his diaper for his uncle. Kevin plugged his nose as he removed the soiled diaper and reached for a clean one. Mia passed him the wipes.

"Serena's going to get him started on solids soon," she chuckled. "Imagine what it'll look and smell like then."

Kevin cleaned the little boy up, put the fresh, clean diaper on, and lifted him up.

"After what happened yesterday, I'll change every diaper for a month," he smiled and kissed Terran's cheek, "Stay away from the Nighlok, Terran. They're nothing but trouble."

"Although, with a stinky diaper, you might just knock a few of them out," Mia chuckled as she gently tickled Terran's stomach and gave Kevin a kiss, "I'm going out."

"Out? Where?"

Mia gestured to her clothes, "A jog. You didn't notice I was only in the bathroom for five minutes?"

Kevin chuckled, "Have fun. Be safe. You have your…"

"Samuraizer," Mia nodded, flashing the device so Kevin could see. "I'll be back in half-an-hour."

Kevin nodded and turned his attention back to Terran. He sat the little boy down on the floor and grabbed his blanket. He threw it over Terran's head, covering him up. Terran laughed as he grabbed the blanket and pulled it off, only to find his uncle with a silly face. He squealed happily and Kevin did it all again.

-Samurai-

Though training was more than enough exercise for one day, Mia loved to head out jogging. It was her time to be alone. She loved living at the Shiba House, and she loved her friends. She couldn't imagine going a day without any of them, no matter how annoying or aggravating they got sometimes. But she needed this time to be by herself. The Shiba House got loud and it got overwhelming and the best way to deal with it all was to find some way to relax outside. Jogging was Mia's favourite getaway excuse.

The forest wasn't her element, but she had always been drawn to it during her jogs. The city, while big, was predictable. She had lived in the city her entire life so when she turned the corner she knew what was waiting for her on the other side. Even the people were the same. Every day they followed the same routine, so Mia would see the same faces in the same places every single day. The forest, however, was so vast and it had its own wildlife and unpredictable schedule, she never knew what she would find.

Training that morning had been somewhat intense. Though Serena had been most affected by the Nighlok the day before, everyone felt the need to kick it up a notch. Terran had been one of the Nighlok's victims, and had the Nighlok not been too stupid to head back to the Netherworld before he started to dry up, he wouldn't have been defeated when he had been and Terran would have been dead. It was something no one wanted to think about, but they couldn't get the thought out of their heads. They had trained like never before, which meant Mia was tired for her jog. She pushed through it, but at a slower pace. Eventually, she slowed to a walk to catch her breath. She sat down on a rock to rest for a moment. She decided once she was ready, she would start to head back.

She wasn't alone in the forest. The odd snap of a twig or the rustling of the leaves wasn't enough to startle her. Animals lurked all around her, gathering food, playing with their furry friends, or even chasing other animals out of their territories. But when a twig snapped right behind her, Mia quickly turned around to see what was approaching. Before she could, though, someone grabbed her.

"I just have questions, but if you struggle, I'll kill you," Dayu's voice whispered in her ear but Mia knew better than to listen to Dayu. She opened her mouth to scream, hoping she wasn't too far from the house, but Dayu covered her mouth, wrapped her arm around her neck.

-Samurai-

Serena didn't want to leave for work, but she knew Terran would be safe with his aunts and uncles and his father. She gave her son a kiss and started for the door.

"I'll be home as soon as possible," Serena said, "but after yesterday, please no one take Terran out beyond the Gates please?"

"He's safe with us," James promised her. "No Nighlok's ever going to touch him again."

"Good," Serena nodded her head and turned to Kevin, "You should think about feeding him the Sanzu Water soon. After yesterday I kind of want to make sure he's got his strength back. You know how to prepare the bottle for him, right?"

"Mia knows," Kevin answered. "As soon as she gets home I'll ask her about it."

"Good," Serena gave James a kiss, grabbed her bag and walked out the door for work. When she was gone, James turned to look at Kevin.

"There's a special way Terran likes his water?" he asked. Kevin nodded his head. He picked Terran up from the floor and walked to the kitchen. He knew Mia would be home soon so he would get Terran ready for his feeding.

"He's a bit picky when it comes to the Sanzu Water," Kevin answered. "Just like his milk, it needs to be the right temperature, but we can't pour a few drops of it on our wrists without poisoning ourselves. Mia and Serena are the only two who know exactly how to do it so he drinks without a fuss."

"So, how long will he be drinking that water for?" James asked. Kevin shrugged his shoulders.

"We're not sure exactly. As long as he's growing, we figure he'll need it."

"Where are you going to get his water when you seal Xandred away? Isn't the whole point of this Ranger thing to stop the Nighlok and keep the Sanzu Water from flooding into our world?"

Kevin looked down at Terran. James was bringing up a good point. What would happen to Terran after they defeated Xandred and sealed the Nighlok and the Sanzu River in the Netherworld for good? They had enough bottles of Sanzu Water to last him a long time, and they were going to continue collecting water whenever they could, but they didn't have enough to last until Terran stopped needing them for good (if he ever really would).

"I… I don't know…" Kevin hugged the little boy, "Hopefully we figure something out."

James took his son in his arms, "I'm sure we will," he walked to the fridge and grabbed a bottle, "I'll feed him today. If I'm going to be his father, I better figure stuff like this out."

"Yeah," Kevin nodded his head and walked out of the kitchen to let James work. He returned to the common room and sat down on his stool. James had a really good point about Terran. Could the humans and the Nighlok ever live together peacefully? There was no way Kevin would ever let the Sanzu Water seep into the human world. It was poisonous, it was dangerous, and it brought the Nighlok with it. But without the water, Terran wouldn't survive for very long. He would grow weaker and weaker, with his Nighlok side bringing down his human side until he fell very ill and possibly died. Was that really the fate for his beloved nephew? Were the Samurai going to have to choose between Terran and the fate of the world?

"KEVIN!" someone shouting pulled him from his thoughts. He looked up to find Emily staring at him with her arms over her chest. When she saw she had his attention she sighed, "Finally, I've been calling forever."

"Sorry, Em, I was just thinking."

"About?"

"Terran," Kevin nodded, "Yesterday was a close call, huh?"

Emily smiled brightly. She had been thrilled to hear Terran survived his first Nighlok attack. As soon as she good news had reached her ears, her entire demeanour had changed from depressed, fearful, and panicked, to joyful, energetic, and bubbly. Terran meant a lot to her, and just the thought of anything happening to him struck fear into her heart. Kevin didn't want to freak her out with Terran's two options.

"I still can't believe it," she was bouncing on her heels, "He was so cold, I thought for sure… you know. But he's back, he's safe, he's warm, and he's as happy as ever!"

"Yeah," Kevin nodded his head, "So, what do you want?"

"What?"

"You came to me, remember?" Kevin chuckled slightly.

"Oh, right. Where's Mia?"

"Jogging," Kevin answered, "She should be home soon. Why?"

"I thought she would be home by now," Emily looked to the clock, "She told us she wouldn't be long."

"Half-an-hour," Kevin nodded his head. He too looked to the clock and frowned, "Is it fast?"

It had now been forty-five minutes since Mia left for her run. She wasn't as punctual as Kevin, but she was never more than a few minutes late. Fifteen was concerning. Emily noted the look on Kevin's face.

"She's late, isn't she?"

Kevin nodded. He checked his watch just to make sure he had the right time and then pulled out his Samuraizer. "I'll call her. Hopefully she just lost track of time."

"Yeah," Emily watched Kevin make the call but the longer they waited for an answer, the more concerned she got. She walked to the map turning it on. Mia's signal was still on.

"She's not answering," Kevin said. He shook his head and called her again, "Maybe she just didn't hear it. I mean, the Gap Sensor didn't go off, right?"

"Nope," Emily shook her head. Like Kevin, she tried to stay calm, but this was unusual.


	165. Mia's Rescue

When Mia woke up she found herself in a cave. She hated caves. Since she had been caught in a cave in with her brother Terry, she had a strong dislike for caves. But even before she realized her head was pounding she knew she had no choice but to stay inside the cave. Dayu had bound her ankles and wrist together.

"Finally," Dayu muttered, seeing Mia stir, "you're awake."

Mia tried to bring her hands to her neck to rub the sore spot, but they were tied down to a ring in the ground. She pulled but that only caused Dayu to laugh.

"You're not going anywhere until you answer a few questions I have."

Mia shook her head, refusing to even speak. Dayu sat down before Mia.

"Just a few questions," she insisted, "and then I'll let you go. You and I both know that's a good deal to take. If you refuse to answer my questions… I have other ways of getting what I want. I mean, it's not like it'll be a big loss if, while on my mission for Serrator, the pink Ranger is killed."

Mia kept her mouth shut. She knew her friends would come for her once they realized she wasn't home on time, and until then, she wouldn't risk giving Dayu what she wanted. The Nighlok grabbed her face, gripping tightly.

"I killed Serena, right?"

Mia didn't nod nor shake her head. She just stared Dayu right in the eye. She would not answer anything, no matter what Dayu did.

"You might as well tell me the truth now," Dayu said. "If I find out you're hiding something from me, and I will find out, you and I are going to have a problem."

"I already tried to help you once and you turned away from me," Mia spat, ripping her face from Dayu's hand, "You had your chance and you blew it. I'm not telling you anything!"

"I have other ways of making you talk," Dayu shrugged her shoulders. She walked over to the fire, which had been lit since Mia had woken up. She pulled a metal rod from the flames and looked maliciously at Mia, "Can you handle more pain that Serena?"

"You sadistic bit…" Mia cried out in agony as the scorching hot rod touched her arm.

-Samurai-

Kevin tried again to call Mia on her Samuraizer but there was still no answer. It had now been nearly an hour since Mia was supposed to be home and there was no sign of her. He looked to Emily, who waited hopefully for him to start speaking with Mia but when he put down his Samuraizer, she gave up and turned the map. She readjusted the settings for the Gap Sensor, causing it to blare loudly as it picked up on Terran's signal. Suddenly, she jumped up from her stool and ran for the door. Kevin was right behind her. He caught her arm just as she was about to leave.

"Where are you going?"

"Dayu's in our forest!" Emily cried. Kevin shook his head.

"Emily, we talked about this, remember…"

"Mia went for a jog in the forest! I know Dayu hates Serena the most, but she's not exactly friendly with Mia either! What if they ran into each other?"

Kevin looked over his shoulder and bit his lip. He turned back to Emily and nodded his head.

"Go get Mike, first," he said. "He'd kill us both if we went after Dayu without telling him."

"What about Jayden and Antonio?" Emily was already halfway to hers and Mike's rooms.

"Someone's got to keep an eye on Terran. What if this is a trap?"

Emily nodded her head and turned down the hall to her room to grab Mike. When she was around the corner, Kevin raced out of the house to get a head start. Dayu was a force to be reckoned with. After years and years of being tortured, she seemed to enjoy making others suffer just as much as she suffered. Kevin couldn't really understand why, but figured it had something to do with making herself feel good.

Unfortunately for her, he wouldn't stand for it; especially not if she was going to use his fiancée as a punching bag.

He sped through the forest. If Dayu had taken Mia somewhere she wouldn't be out in the open. She would find a place to hide. Kevin knew of a few good places where Dayu was likely to go but he couldn't find a trace of them. After what felt like an eternity of searching he stopped and looked around at the trees. He wished he hadn't left without Mike. The forest was his element. If there was something off about it, Mike would know.

Kevin flipped open his Samuraizer. It seemed Emily had left the Sensors turned up high. Just as he had hoped, he was right on top of Dayu's signal, but the location wasn't exact. She was near, but she could still be anywhere. Surely, by now, Mike and Emily were on the hunt for Dayu and Mia, and Jayden, Antonio, James, and Ji would be wondering why the Gap Sensor had been turned up.

Realizing he couldn't do this on his own, he took a seat on a fallen branch and waited for Mike and Emily to turn up. He was close, but only Mike could get him closer. He hated taking a seat and waiting, but it was better than running around aimlessly, wasting energy that could be used to kick Dayu's ass. But as he took a seat and breathed out a worried sigh he heard a cry. A loud, ear piercing scream. He jumped back up to his feet and followed the sound as far as it would take him. He was still among the trees when he stopped and had a look around, hoping for another clue, but dreading it at the same time.

"Who is the white Ranger?" he heard a voice scream. Dayu's voice. He raced through the trees and found the mouth of a cave. Without a second thought he morphed and hurried inside, slowing down when he heard Dayu scream again, "Is it Serena?"

Kevin poked his head around the wall of the cave and saw Dayu standing over a fallen Mia. He couldn't see very well inside the cave, even with the light from the fire dancing around, but his fears were confirmed. Dayu was not playing nice.

"Hydro Bow!" he shouted, giving himself away as he summed his weapon and aimed it at Dayu. She turned around. Her eyes were wide as she found herself staring at the blue Ranger. She knew he wouldn't hold back. She knew the pink and blue Rangers were engaged and by hurting the pink Ranger, she had pissed him off. In a way, their relationship reminded her a lot of herself and Dekker. Even before she had become a Nighlok, Dayu was more than capable of caring for herself, but Dekker had been fiercely protective of her, promising to never let any harm come to her. Centuries ago, if she had found herself in the pink Ranger's position, Dekker would have been standing exactly where the blue Ranger was standing, with his sword at the ready, eager to kill whatever or whoever it was who thought they could hurt her. This was why Dayu knew the blue Ranger wasn't going to hesitate at all. As he fired his first shots, she created a gap to the Netherworld and disappeared.

Kevin lowered his bow. Dayu was gone, Mia was safe, but it seemed too easy. He had a careful look around, just in case this was all a trap, but then he heard a groan from Mia, distracting him from everything else. He raced over to her and fell by her side. He got a good look at her injuries and his blood boiled. They weren't fatal, but they looked very painful. Blisters, from the burning metal rod that now lay beside her, covered her arms and hands, and she had a few bruises on her cheeks, as well as a black eye. Kevin held up his spin sword, cutting the rope around her wrists, which had also left a painful burn.

"You're going to be okay," he promised her. Mia nodded her head and rubbed her wrists as she looked up. Her eyes widened suddenly, alerting him that there was something behind him. Gripping his sword tightly in his hand, he spun around only to feel a sharp pain in his stomach. He dropped his sword and fell to the ground.

"NO!" Mia screamed as Dayu ripped her sword out from Kevin's body. Mia was about to put her hands over his wound to slow the bleeding, but the felt a sharp point touch under her chin. She looked up. Dayu had the sword pointed at her.

"Face it, pink Ranger, even if the rest of the rainbow turns up, you're not getting out of here in time to save him unless I choose to leave. Give me my answers and I'll leave right now."

Mia glanced down at Kevin. He needed help and Dayu was right. If the others turned up there would be a fight. Kevin was bleeding a lot; he wouldn't even make it through a quick fight.

"Serena's dead," Mia whispered.

"Is this true?" Dayu tapped the underside of Mia's chin with her blade. Mia carefully nodded her head.

"Of course it's true."

"Then who is the white Ranger?"

"I'm telling you, I don't know," Mia insisted again. Tears streamed down her face. If Dayu didn't believe her soon Kevin wouldn't get help. "She's a Samurai; she swore her allegiance to us. After you killed Serena and Xandred nearly killed the red Ranger… we needed all the help we can get."

"If I find out you're lying to me..."

"I swear," Mia looked Dayu right in the eye. The tears down the pink Ranger's cheeks, the burns on her skin… Dayu couldn't help but lower her sword. The light from the fire dancing around her face… this all felt familiar. As Mia looked down at the dying blue Ranger, it finally occurred to Dayu. She put her sword away.

"One chance, pink Ranger," Dayu growled and turned away. She walked to a gap in the cave and disappeared just as the other Samurai rushed in.

-Samurai-

Mia was gone. The Samurai had gotten her and Kevin home and while Jayden and Antonio rushed Kevin into his bedroom for Ji to begin treatment, Emily and Mike took Mia to the common room to look after her. She was better off than Kevin, but she was still in a bad way.

Unfortunately, Mia had checked out of her body long before she got home. She was conscious, but she was non-responsive to anything. She didn't flinch when Emily touched her wounds. She didn't whine when it was obvious she was in pain. She was completely gone.

Emily finished with the dressing around her hands. She had some pretty serious burns, but nothing it Emily hadn't seen before.

"What did Dayu want?" Emily asked again, hoping for an answer from Mia but there was zero response. Mike, who had been watching from the stool and acting as Emily's nurse, sighed and grabbed Mia by the arms. It should have caused her to flinch or cry out in pain, considering there were a few burns there, but Mia did nothing.

"Mia, you need to answer us."

"There should be some kind of news by now, right?" Mia whispered. Mike pulled her into his arms and held her warmly. Emily glanced over her shoulder.

"They're doing what they can," she promised Mia. "What happened? What did Dayu want?"

"If there's no news then they're still working on him," Mia muttered. "That means he's not okay."

"Mia, it's Kevin. He'll be fine," Mike whispered in her ear. Mia shook her head and buried her face in his shoulder.

The door opened as Serena came back from school, completely unaware of the day the other Samurai had had. She soon realized though as she glanced into the common room and got a look at Mia's injuries.

"Who did this?" she growled. "Please tell me whoever did this is dead. Actually, no, I want to kill him. I'll kill him myself."

"Her," Emily whispered. Mike was comforting Mia so Emily got up and walked over to Serena. "You'll kill her."

"Dayu…" Serena breathed. She was about to head back out the door when Emily grabbed her arm, pulling her back in.

"It's worse than you think," Emily said and then she pointed to Mia and Mike, "Notice anything odd?"

Serena looked around the room. Suddenly it hit her, "Where's Kevin?"

Emily took her sister's hand and walked her down the hall.


	166. They're Dead

Ji said he had done all he could for Kevin. The wound had been closed up, he had been given some blood; the rest was up to him.

This was the part Jayden hated the most. He hated sitting around and waiting for something to happen. He was a man of action. He preferred to get what he wanted himself.

Antonio paced before him. He was so unsettled he couldn't sit down. He had tried, only to get up a couple of seconds after his butt touched the seat.

"Either way, he's out for the next little while, right?" Antonio asked, turning to Jayden. He pointed to Kevin's stitching in his stomach, "I mean, there's no way he could fight without pulling it open again… right?"

Jayden nodded his head. It was unfortunate, but Antonio was right. Given how much they moved around in a fight, the risk of Kevin pulling open his stitching and bleeding out again was high. There was no way Jayden was going to let Kevin back onto the battle field until he was healed.

Antonio breathed out a heavy sigh, "Mia burned her hands pretty badly, too. Will she be able to fight?"

Jayden shrugged his shoulders. Antonio nodded.

"She probably wants to," the gold Ranger said. He looked to Jayden with a small smile, "I mean, here you are and I still want to kick Xandred's ass."

Antonio continued to pace back and forth. He ran his fingers through his hair and sighed again.

"Serena seemed pretty pissed when Emily brought her in. She can use that in battle, right. Because it's not for Emily."

Jayden nodded his head again. This time he didn't have to ask Serena to hold back. If she wanted to explode next time she saw Dayu or any Nighlok, he would let her because the Nighlok wouldn't be able to figure her out. Serena was protective of all the Samurai, but the Nighlok only knew her to be protective of her sister.

"That's good, I guess," Antonio said. "She fights like Kevin and cares like Mia."

Jayden got up, "As far as the Nighlok are concerned, Kevin's dead."

Antonio looked to his boyfriend and scratched his head, "Uh, what? Why?"

"They're stronger now," Jayden breathed. "Smarter, too. If they think Kevin's dead, they won't go after him. It's the best way to keep him safe. Just like we're keeping Serena safe by letting Dayu believe she's dead."

"Does Dayu still believe that?" Antonio asked. Just then, the door slid open. It was Mia and Mike. Mia walked right over to the bed and took a seat beside Kevin while Mike looked to the two boys and gestured for them to step outside. The three of them left the room and walked to the common room, where Serena, Emily, James, and Ji were doing some light training to pass the time. They all sat down in a circle. Mike played with his hands nervously. He had gotten Mia to talk while they were alone and he wasn't sure what to make of what Dayu had done or what had happened in the cave.

"Apparently," Mike started, "Serrator ordered Dayu to kill Serena and the white Ranger."

"Perfect," Serena rolled her eyes, "What did she do to Mia and Kevin?"

"Wait, if Serrator ordered Dayu to kill Serena, then they know she's alive?" Antonio asked. Mike shook his head.

"That's what Dayu wanted Mia for," he said. "Mia says she kept asking if Serena was alive. Well, that and she asked who the white Ranger was. She wouldn't let Mia go until she got her answers."

"Until Mia told her I was alive and the white Ranger was me," Serena shook her head and looked around the room, "Face it, even if I was actually dead, Dayu would never have believed her. I guess that means they…"

"Have no idea," a ghost of a smile appeared on Mike's lips; "After Dayu hurt Kevin she gave Mia one final chance to tell the truth. We all know Kevin would have bled out if Dayu didn't leave when she did. Somehow, Mia managed to convince Dayu that Serena was dead and that we have no idea who our white Ranger is."

Without a word Emily got up and left. James took Serena's hand and squeezed it, happy she was still somewhat safe.

"That's good for us, then," James said, "They'll have no idea who the white Ranger is, and now we know they're going after her, we can be more careful."

"You mean I can be more careful," Serena shot James a look, knowing that was exactly what she meant. She had to admire how brave he was. She knew it wasn't easy watching a loved one go into battle, but he was calm about it. Still, she knew he worried. She gave his hand a little squeeze, "And I will be careful, I promise."

"I know," James smiled.

Jayden looked around, "I've also decided, as far as the Nighlok are concerned, Kevin's dead."

"Dude…"

"They'll leave him alone, that way," Jayden nodded his head. "When he's ready to come back, they'll be in for a surprise. It's an advantage we have to take."

"It's not like he can go into battle soon anyways," Antonio shrugged his shoulders. "I agree with Jayden."

"If the Nighlok believe they've taken out two Samurai, this could give them the momentum they need," Ji pointed out but Jayden shook his head.

"They already have momentum," he said. "After Xandred's attack they've had the advantage. I'm not a hundred percent yet, and that last Nighlok almost killed three of us. Dayu got Mia and Kevin…"

"You're trying to make them over-confident," Mike smiled, "So they'll make a mistake soon."

"So they underestimate us," Jayden nodded. "We need them to think we're getting weaker."

"I guess it's as good a plan as any," James said. "If my vote counts for anything, I say it's worth it."

"I do too," Serena agreed. Jayden smiled. He had James', Serena's, and Antonio's vote. He just needed Ji and Mike to be on board as well. He looked to his father figure, who gently nodded his head.

"I have no reason not to trust you," he said. Jayden turned to Mike.

"Alright, dude. As long as you don't plan on killing me off too, I'm good."

"Now we just need to hope for the best," Jayden turned his attention back to Ji, "You said you were sure Kevin would be okay?"

"He'll be down for a while," Ji answered with a slight nod, "but he's not going anywhere."

-Samurai-

Mia thought she was the goner. She knew never to trust Dayu, so when the Nighlok had promised she would keep her alive, Mia had her doubts. Then Kevin had turned up and Mia was sure she was home free. He would stop Dayu, take her home and obsess over her for days. That was how it was supposed to end. Instead, Dayu pretended to leave only to come back and pierce her sword through Kevin's stomach, swearing she would let him bleed to death if Mia didn't give her what she wanted.

She still didn't know if he was going to be okay or not. He was pale from all the blood loss and he looked somewhat lifeless. Mia could only hope this was temporary and she would have him back.

She barely heard the knock on the door, nor did she hear when it slid open. Emily pulled up a chair and sat down next to her, pulling her legs into her chest, hugging them tightly. She didn't like seeing her big brother like this. He was always strong.

"How is he?" she asked Mia but she got no response. She sighed, "Mike told me what happened with Dayu. Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Mia muttered. She didn't take her eyes off Kevin. Emily reached one arm out and hugged her best friend.

"I wouldn't have blamed you for telling Dayu the truth. To be honest, I probably would have spilled the second Dayu burned me."

"You never would have said anything," Mia shook her head and then looked Emily in the eye, "Dayu had already hurt Kevin. She couldn't have taken anything else from me. At that point it was just a matter of convincing her I was telling the truth. I just figured she would assume it would spill out of my mouth once she hurt him so… I took advantage."

"Still," Emily whispered, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Mia breathed. Emily gave her shoulder a light squeeze, being careful not to hurt her burns. As she was about to get up, Mia looked to her again, "Can you stay?"

Emily nodded her head and sat back down. She moved her chair in a little closer to Mia and wrapped her arms around her older sister.


	167. Don't Show Your Anger

Kevin had never been so tired before. He knew he was awake, but he could barely get his eyelids to open up. He would have considered just going back to sleep but he remembered what happened. He remembered everything until Ji put him under and he wanted to know how much damage had been done.

Not to himself, though. He wanted to know what happened to Mia. She had been the one who really suffered at Dayu's hands. He opened his eyes and saw her folded over on the chair beside his bed. She had her head on the mattress, with her hand on top of his, and she was out like a light. Kevin carefully pulled his hand out from under hers and gently touched her face. She had burns, cuts, and bruises everywhere, but most of them were covered up with dressing. Though he hated the sight, it made him smile. His friends had taken care of her. He always knew he could count on them and he was happy to see they hadn't let him down.

He thought of waking her up, but it occurred to him how hard it must have been for her to fall asleep and decided to leave her be. After all, it didn't seem like he was going anywhere anytime soon. His stitching was covered up with a bandage, but given the size of the bandage and the pain he could feel, he could tell it was a big enough wound. Dayu hadn't held back at all. He knew he was lucky.

Just as he was about to close his eyes to sleep his bedroom door opened. He turned and managed a smile when he saw it was Mike, coming in with a cup of hot tea. Mike set the tea on the night table and then looked to Kevin with a bright smile on his face.

"You're up," he whispered, obviously so as not to wake Mia. It seemed he had the same thought as Kevin and wanted to let her sleep.

"Just woke up," Kevin nodded his head. He looked back to Mia, "How is she?"

"Depends," Mike shrugged, "Do you know what happened?"

Kevin shook his head. Between trying to get Dayu away from Mia and getting stabbed he hadn't had the time to ask. He had a good idea, but he wanted to know for sure. He wanted every single detail so that when Dayu showed her face again, he could kick her ass.

Mike pulled up the extra chair and sat down. He didn't know how to tell the story gently. He knew Kevin could handle the truth, and it was very likely he wanted the hard truth, so he started to explain how Dayu used the hot rods to burn Mia, how Mia had struggled and tried to fight her way out, to no avail, and how Dayu had done all this just to ask after Serena and the white Ranger. He finished by telling Kevin how Mia had managed to keep up the lie, convincing Dayu that she was telling the truth when she said Serena was dead, keeping both Serena and Kevin alive a little longer. As Mike told the story, Kevin's hand moved back to Mia's and he squeezed her hand gently. He was so proud. He would have cracked the minute Dayu touched Mia, if the roles were reversed, and he would have put Serena in danger, while still unsure whether or not he and Mia were going to get out safely.

"No one would have blamed her for spilling," Mike said as he looked to Mia. "Actually, I don't know why she didn't just… tell the truth."

"Because, she's smart," Kevin smiled. "No sense putting Serena in danger when we're not sure what Dayu's really thinking. I remember a bit of what happened. Dayu promised she would leave, but I think we all know not to trust a Nighlok."

"I guess we owe you then," Mike said with a slight grin, "But dude, next time you go after a Nighlok, don't do it on your own. What if we didn't find you in time?

"Dayu left before you showed up," Kevin shrugged his shoulders, "Mia would have been fine."

"Yeah, consider yourself lucky, but you would have bled to death," Mike shook his head. He gave his best friend a light punch in the shoulder. "What do you think would hurt her more? Another set of burns from Dayu, or you dead? I get it, dude, Mia's life before your own, but c'mon, man, think a little more."

Kevin nodded and chuckled, "I knew you were coming."

"Yeah, well… you still shouldn't have run off," Mike said. He jabbed Kevin's chest, "Your punishment is not getting out of bed until that scar heals up. That means no training and no Ranger battles."

"But…"

"I'm serious, dude. You're on bed rest until that thing stop threatening to tear open every time you move. We can't have you bleeding to death again. Now, do you want Mia's tea? It might turn into iced tea before she wakes up anyways."

"I'm fine," Kevin shook his head, "I'll probably just get some more sleep. I've got nothing else to do anyways."

-Samurai-

James couldn't be happier that morning. He was so happy, in fact, that he made a big breakfast for everyone to enjoy after their training. Terran, his son (he still couldn't believe he was a father) was safe, happy, and healthy. Mia and Kevin were going to be okay, even though it would take some time. As far as the Nighlok were concerned, Serena was dead, so as long as she kept a low profile she would be safe from them as well, and even though the Nighlok were targeting the white Ranger, James was sure she was more than capable of protecting herself.

He didn't take part in training that morning because of breakfast, so after dropping off a couple of plates for Mia and Kevin he walked outside to tell the others it was time to eat. They were all working hard, harder than he had ever seen, but they had a lot at stake. After seeing Xandred' power, they knew they needed to be better than their best.

"I guess now would be a good time to tell you all I made…" James couldn't finish his sentence before Antonio and Mike raced past him. They were the hungriest of the group and didn't need to know what was waiting for them in the kitchen in order to get excited. They thanked him as they rushed by, earning themselves a little laugh from James.

Serena, as she walked by, gave him a kiss as her thank you, but when she stepped inside the house she stopped and turned around.

"If you're going to make meals like this more often, the stay-at-home dad thing might just work," she chuckled. "This smells awesome."

Jayden and Ji walked by next, saying their thank yous to James before heading inside. James heard their footsteps speeding up and assumed they had smelt the food waiting for them. He knew he could cook, but he didn't know he was that good.

"Don't be to flattered," he heard a laugh and saw Emily was left to clean up the equipment, "They haven't eaten anything yet."

"Or I'm just an amazing chef," James smirked. He knew she was just teasing him and decided to play along, "but if you don't finish cleaning quickly, you're never going to know for sure."

"I already ate," Emily told him. She put all but two katanas away and held one out for James, "You skipped training."

"I'm not a Ranger. I can afford to skip training."

"I've been training on average twice a day since I was eight," Emily told him. "I'm no good in math, but I'm positive I'm better off skipping one training lesson than you are. You're still a newbie and need all the help you can get."

"I'm better than you think."

"You're engaged to my sister and father to my nephew," Emily shook her head, "Maybe you are better than I think, but you're nowhere near as good as you need to be."

"Alright, three points wins. Loser's got to do the dishes."

"You're on."

-Samurai-

Kevin touched his dressing. It was amazing how little damage he had receive.

Well, not really little. The wound had been fatal. By all accounts he was lucky to be alive. It had taken a blood transfusion, stitching, and some very impressive medical skills to save him. But all he had was the one wound. There were no bruises, no other cuts. He wasn't sore. Really, the only part of his body that hurt was the area surrounding his one wound, but he could keep the pain under control.

Still, he was out of commission. He didn't like that. He didn't like it one bit.

As he finished the meal James made him, he turned to Mia who was now lying on the bed beside him. He took her hand, causing her to turn to look at him.

"Yeah?"

"Don't go after Dayu."

Mia scoffed and shook her head, "Yeah, right."

"I'm serious," he gave her a look that told her he wouldn't be argued with, "The others told you to take it easy, but I know you. You can still hold a sword and you're pissed off."

"So?"

"Stay away from Dayu before you turn into her. I know she hurt us and I know you don't want her to get away with it, but you know better than to fight when you're pissed."

"No."

Kevin sighed. Mia was normally the calm, level-headed one, but there were times where she couldn't see sense. He pulled her into his arms.

"If you fight Dayu pissed, you're only going to get hurt. I don't want to see that happening."

"I won't get hurt…"

"Please, don't risk it, Mia," Kevin held her tight while being mindful of her burns. "Besides, if she sees she pissed you off, she'll know she's winning. You don't want to give her that satisfaction, do you? You don't want her to think she's broken you?"

Mia let out a deep sigh, "No."

"If you promise me you'll be careful and follow orders, even when you see Dayu, I promise I'll be a good patient," Kevin said. "I'll stay in this bed until I'm clear to get up, and then I'll do my exercises, I'll take life easy, I'll stay in the shadows, and I won't do anything stupid like run into battle before I'm ready. Do we have a deal?"

"We have a deal," Mia nodded. Then she reached under the bed and pulled out a notepad, "Now, the only way I can keep my end of the deal is if I take my mind off what happened."

"That's your wedding book," Kevin gulped. He loved planning his wedding as much as the next groom-to-be, but… well, he only loved planning his wedding as much as the next groom-to-be.

"You're stuck in bed with nothing to do anyways," Mia smirked, "and the more we get done now, the less we'll have to do later."

Mia opened the book to a page covered in pictures of flowers. She held the book up for Kevin to see.

"Which do you like best?"

"All of them look good to me," Kevin looked to Mia with a smile but she didn't seem happy with his answer.

"Can you do this seriously?" she asked him with a sigh. "I want your opinion, Kevin. I want this day to be special for you too. It's not just my wedding."

"In that case, do you know what I really want at the wedding?"

"What?" Mia asked eagerly, happy he was finally contributing to the wedding plans with a little more than _"that'll be nice,"_ or _"All of them look good. You decide."_

"You as my bride," Kevin smiled and leaned in closer to kiss her, "I don't care what's around us, I don't care who's invited. I don't care about the flowers. I'll forget about all that in a few years. But I'm never going to forget your face as you walk down that aisle."

"Aw," Mia gave him the kiss he was looking for, "That's beautiful, Kevin."

She thrust the book into his chest, "But seriously, there will be pictures and getting married in a dump was never in any of my dreams, so which flowers do you like best?"

Kevin sighed and opened the book. As he looked through the pages (and pages, and pages) of flower options he shook his head, "Have you chosen a maid of honour, yet?"

"Not sure," Mia shrugged, "it's between Emily and Serena."

"God help her when you've decided."


	168. Terran's Dark Side

James wasn't the strongest opponent she had ever faced, but he had been right when he told her he was better than she thought.

"Two-two," he smirked, stepping away from Emily and giving her some time to recover and get ready for the final round. Emily got back to her feet and rubbed the spot on her arm where he hit her.

"Ow."

"All's fair in love and war," James grinned. He held out his sword, "Ready for the final round?"

Emily nodded, determined to win so she wouldn't have to suffer the humiliating loss. James was good, but she had been training nearly all her life. She should be better.

Fortunately, a strike to the leg ended it, giving her the third point she needed.

"You're on dish duty," she grinned, holding out her hand to help James up. He accepted it with a big smile.

"That's probably for the best," he said, "After all; you'll be the one out on the battle field with Serena. Only the best for her, right?"

Emily nodded her head and looked down at her katana, "Are you worried about her too?"

"Of course I'm worried," James nodded his head, "Dayu and Serrator are after her and I'm here sitting on the sidelines wishing there was more I could do. I know I'm not a Samurai, but I'm still a man. I still want to protect her."

"You do protect her," Emily said, picking at the katana, "She's less… well, stupid when you're around. She's making better decisions. She's never been a bad older sister, far from it, actually, but she's better when you're around. She thinks things through. That's safer."

"She's got a thick skull," James chuckled and Emily nodded her head in agreement, "but I know how to get through to her. When she doesn't care about her own safety I just mention you or Terran and I know I've got her."

"Yeah. She's always been like that," Emily said. "I just… I like this secret white Ranger thing because it's better for her… but I don't like taking a step back. If she's in trouble, I want to, you know, be a monster."

"If it makes you feel better, taking that step back is exactly what's keeping her safe. If you were to go all monster to protect her, the Nighlok would know instantly who she was and how to hurt her, and if that happens, you could be putting me or Terran or even yourself in more trouble."

"I don't think I can handle more trouble," Emily groaned. "I've still got a chill from that last Nighlok."

"Just keep reminding yourself why it's so important you take a step back," James put his hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "And, worse comes to worse, taking a few hits for your sister might not be a dead giveaway if everyone else does it too. Just do as they do and you'll be fine. No one wants to see anything happen to you."

"Okay," Emily smiled. He gave her a gentle pat on the arm.

"Go eat a proper breakfast. You worked hard. I'll put this stuff away," he took the katana from her as she raced inside to grab some of what was left of breakfast. As she ran into the house she passed Serena, who was walking out with a plate of pancakes in her hand.

"What's the hold up?" she called to James and took a seat on the stairs. "Mike's practically eating the table."

"Just a bit of training with Em," James told her. "Gotta learn to keep up with at least one of the Samurai."

"Hey, don't underestimate my sister," Serena pointed her finger at him, "We did have the same teacher, you know. She'll kick your ass six ways until Sunday if you really get her going."

"I'm not underestimating her," James took a seat beside Serena, "Can I ask you something that might sound a little weird?"

"Why not?"

"Don't do something stupid; for her sake. I don't want to see something happen to her because of something you did."

Serena gave James a funny look, "Are you serious?" she laughed, "What the hell happened inside that Nighlok?"

"You don't practically freeze to death with a person and not bond with them," James picked off a piece of Serena's pancake and ate it, "but seriously, don't get yourself killed and don't let her take any unnecessary hits for you."

"I'll keep my sister safe," Serena smiled. "That's why I'm in the white suit."

-Samurai-

Kevin groaned loudly. He hated bed rest. As his first full day in bed progressed he was finding himself more and more bored.

Bored out of his skull.

Mia was in and out of the room all day, only because the Samurai all wanted to check up on her. Kevin was the one who had almost died but he had one wound. She had many, and though she tried to hide the pain from everyone, especially him, her attempts were futile. They all knew she was hurting.

His friends were also coming to check up on him. Jayden had brought in a chess board and the two had played a game for about an hour. Antonio came in next with a bunch of books he knew Kevin would be interested in reading, as well as a few Kevin had never heard of before. The gold Ranger insisted he try something new while there was nothing else for him to do.

When Mike came in, the two boys talked. That was it. There was nothing special about it, but Kevin enjoyed it. He was closer to Mike now than ever before and after Mia's visits, Mike's were his favourite.

For her visits, Emily brought Scruffy. The dog and Emily's bouncy nature kept Kevin entertained for a while.

When Ji stopped by his visits were mostly formal. A few questions that were all somewhere along the lines of "are you okay", as well as a quick check on his injury and Mia's if she was in the room, though there wasn't much progress in a day. Kevin knew it would still be a while before he was back in action, but at least Ji wasn't giving him any real bad news, like his scaring was looking worse.

After going to the kitchen to get him a drink, Mia returned with a cold cup of water. She put it in Kevin's hand and sat down with him. She had already bored him to tears with plans of her wedding. She wasn't sure she had anything else to talk to him about. Most of the day, she had been with him. There was nothing to say that he didn't already know.

"How are you?" he asked her. Mia gave him a strange look.

"You're the one on bed rest."

"Mia, you look like the old you cooked you for dinner," Kevin said. "You're burnt like your chicken dinner. You can't tell me you're fit as a fiddle."

"I'm sore, I'll admit it," she nodded her head, "but what else do you expect? Dayu's a bitch."

"Well, this bed is for recovering," he gave the mattress a gentle pat while he put his water on the night table.

"You could have just started with that," Mia chuckled and climbed next to him in the bed. She lied down carefully beside him, mindful of his stitching and her own burns. She was used to the pain, but it always hurt more when she rubbed the dressing against something. Dayu was definitely going to pay next time Mia got the chance.

Kevin wrapped his arms around her and suddenly she felt something cool cover her entire body. She looked down and saw blue symbols floating around her, all of them meant water. She looked up at Kevin.

"What are you doing?"

"Water beats fire," Kevin shrugged with a smile, "removing the heat from the burns makes them feel better. Is it helping?"

Mia nodded her head. The symbols felt like a cool gel that pulled the pain away from her burns and they were better than an ice pack because she knew they weren't going to thaw overtime. As long as Kevin wanted them to stay up, they would.

"I wish wind could help stab wounds."

"You are helping," Kevin kissed her forehead, "and just promise me you'll…"

"Stay away from Dayu," Mia nodded. Kevin continued to bring it up, though she had already promised to be smart. She knew it worried him, and it was one of the reasons she intended on keeping her promise. She didn't want to worry him or scare him.

-Samurai-

It was getting late. Most of the Samurai were already in their rooms getting ready for bed. Not Emily. She was by the map, staring at it intensely. She wouldn't pick up on Dayu's signal because the sensor's sensitivity had been turned down so as not to pick up on Terran.

That was the problem. She had no idea where Dayu was or what she was planning.

For a long time it had been clear that Dayu wanted her sister dead. But it bothered her now especially. Though Dayu believed Serena was dead, she was still out to kill the white Ranger. Serena was safe, but not completely.

"There has to be a way," she whispered and held her head as she continued to stare at the map. She wanted to be able to pick up on Dayu's signal, without the Gap Sensor picking up on Terran. That way she could keep her eye on Dayu's whereabouts. It would be something she could do to keep her sister a little safer without tipping off the Nighlok to who the white Ranger was.

"Not that I'm encouraging your bouncy personality," James said from the door as he walked in with Terran, "but the more you sleep, the more energy you'll have tomorrow. It's getting late."

Emily took her nephew and cuddled him, "He's being a pain."

"Mike?"

"Terran. Why does he have to be a half-Nighlok? I love him but… I hate that about him."

James nodded his head. He knew exactly what she meant. Since his conversation with Kevin about sealing away all the Sanzu Water, he couldn't get Terran's fate off his mind. His Nighlok half made him stronger, but if the Rangers didn't figure something out soon it was also going to be his downfall. Unlike regular Nighlok, Terran could live on earth and relied very little on Sanzu Water, but, unlike Dayu and Dekker, Terran was still dependant on Sanzu Water. The only way to ensure the safety of every person on the planet was to stop the water from flooding the earth completely. As long as it had a way of seeping through, the Nighlok had a way of seeping through. But without Sanzu Water, James wasn't sure how long Terran had.

"I'm trying to find a way to keep an eye on Dayu," Emily continued, "without the gap Sensor going off twenty-four seven because of Terran."

"Has there ever been a way to unNighlok someone?"

Emily gave him a look that indicated he was the stupidest person she had ever met, "Don't you think we would have unNighloked him by now? Better yet, don't you think Dayu and Dekker would have unNighloked themselves a long, long time ago?"

"Maybe they don't know how?" James shrugged. He got up and walked to the bookcase, "There's got to be something."

As he scanned the titles of the books he bit his tongue. He didn't want to tell Emily her theory. He didn't want to worry her. It was obvious she was already worried about her sister.

He found a book and pulled it off the shelves. Though sword fighting was important to learn as an honorary Samurai, Jayden, Kevin, and Ji all insisted James learn a bit about the Samurai history. He had gone through a few books already and had read something he thought might be useful. Now he was hoping Emily could explain it a little better than the book could. He opened it to the desired page and showed her, "Legend says the water here is the purest of them all."

Emily nodded her head, "When Jayden was poisoned Dekker took him there. It healed him right up."

"Think it can heal Terran?"

"He's not sick," Emily shook her head, "besides, Dekker was in the water too, and he's more of a monster now than ever. And, the water's all the way in Japan. Do you feel like bringing a baby on an airplane?"

"Can't you travel with symbol power?" James asked.

"All the way to Japan?" Emily laughed, "You're funny."

"I thought symbol power can do anything if you believed," James said and then his eyes went wide. His brain started running a thousand miles a minute. Emily just rolled her eyes.

"You should like Mia's fairy tales. How much energy you have…"

James grabbed her arms, "Do you know heal?"

"What?"

"Serena used it on her legs all the time when she was paralyzed," James smiled. "I'm convinced that overtime it helped her recovery."

"So?"

James knelt down in front of Emily and looked her right in the eyes, "So, isn't it worth a shot? If there's anything we can do to save Terran…"

"Whoa, whoa, what? Save Terran? I just want his Nighlok half out of the way so I can make sure Dayu's not pounding on my sister or anyone else. Who said anything about Terran needing to be saved? Sure, the fact that he's a Nighlok is a pain in the butt, but everyone's got a dark side."

James breathed out a heavy sigh, "Em, we're collecting as much water as we can, but what are we going to do after you guys win and the Nighlok and the Sanzu River are sealed away for good?"

Emily frowned, "What are you talking about? We'll have enough water. Every time a pool turns up we…"

"That'll stop eventually, and we can't be sure when Terran will stop needing the water."

He hated the fear in her eyes, but now that it was out there he couldn't hide it anymore. He saw her cuddle Terran closer.

"Isn't it worth a shot, Em?"

"But we can't go to Japan," Emily shook her head. "The Nighlok are here! We'll leave the city wide open, or we'll bring them to Japan or… or…"

"I can go," James suggested. Emily shook her head again.

"You don't have Symbol Power. The water won't heal him on its own. It didn't heal Dekker."

"Then one of you can come with me. We'll bath him in the water, use the symbol and…"

"We can't leave," Emily was shaking her head so much James was worried she would get dizzy and fall over, "We need everyone here. Besides, who are we going to send? If Serena travels she'll be a sitting duck! Jayden can't leave, he's the red Ranger. Antonio's symbols are good, but I doubt he can heal a Nighlok, and that's if the symbol even works. Kevin can't travel. Mia won't leave him, and I'm not sending Mike to Japan by himself on a mission that might not work! I'm already worried sick about Serena!"

"So then you'll come with me?"

Emil started to shake her head again, so James grabbed it.

"He's your nephew, Em. If we can make this work, don't you think it's worth a try? I doubt you want to seal him in the Netherworld with Xandred and the other Nighlok, and I doubt you want to watch as someone else you love falls ills and slowly withers away."

Tears welled up in Emily's eyes. She shoved Terran back into James' arms and stood up, "We'll talk to the others tomorrow."

"Em…" James called her name but she continued walking to her room and closed the door, practically slamming it shut. James sighed and looked down at Terran. "What?" he asked his son, "You're worth the try. Besides, if this does work, your first words will be 'why didn't you do it sooner'?"


	169. A Trip

When morning came, the Samurai, minus Kevin, were in the common room instead of outside training. James had something he wanted to run by the Samurai. Something he claimed was very important.

He didn't sleep much after his talk with Emily. He was worried about Terran and worried about the conversation he was going to have to lead. He couldn't imagine the Rangers refusing to take a chance at saving Terran, but they were already missing Kevin and his plan to save his son required one of the Rangers to come with him. Ideally, while Kevin sat out he would come with James to Japan to find the water that would hopefully turn Terran into a complete human, but Kevin was in no shape to fly or walk across Japan to the water source, so, unfortunately, he had to stay back.

James was willing to bring anyone else along; whoever the Rangers could spare (for lack of a better word) for a couple of days, but the night before, Emily had brought up several good reasons why no one else was suited to go, and James had come up with a few more as he laid awake in bed thinking of this conversation.

Kevin was injured.

Kevin was injured. It needed to be said again because there was no way Mia would leave the country while he was in bed recovering.

Jayden was the red Ranger: the leader of the Samurai. Pulling him away from all the others was surely going to put a target on his back. His and Ji's recent revelation that all the Samurai needed to master the sealing symbol meant he wasn't _the man_, but Xandred and the Nighlok didn't know this yet. They would still take any opportunity to kill him.

Serena couldn't be separated from the team either. Not with Serrator and Dayu after her. James was improving with his swordsmanship and his martial arts, but he still wasn't the muscle in his relationship with Serena. If Dayu, Serrator, or a Nighlok turned up, there wasn't much he could do to keep her safe.

Emily didn't want Mike traveling to another country by himself. She was already worried about Serena and there wasn't much she could do to keep her sister safe except step back. She didn't want to sit on the sidelines if something were to happen in Japan as well. James also figured it wasn't smart to take Mike. While the whole team would be looking out for Mia, convincing her not to let her anger get the better of her, Mike was the best at keeping her under control and the only one Kevin trusted completely to keep Mia out of harm's way. And, if James was leaving, he needed Mike to stay and keep an eye on Serena as well.

And Antonio didn't have enough symbol power to save Terran. Emily was assuming that it was going to take a lot of power for Terran to have a chance at recovering from his Nighlok curse. It was power Antonio didn't have.

When James brought up his idea for a trip to Japan, there was a wail of protests from everybody, so he used his only weapon. One he was sure would shut them up.

"What's going to happen to him when you seal the Sanzu River away?"

Mike shook his head. He had been to the future. Terran made it at least fifteen years without worry of where his next glass of Sanzu Water would come from. But then, as he shook his head, he thought of something else. He wasn't sure where Terran had gotten his water from; he wasn't sure what the Rangers had done to stop Xandred and the Nighlok. Mia hadn't shared that with him because the less he knew about the future battle, the better (or so she believed). Then he remembered something else. In that future he wasn't here. His presence right here, right now, changed everything. The future was just as unpredictable now as it would have been had he never been. He grabbed his head in his hands and groaned. He could feel a headache coming on.

Serena gripped the seat of her stool tight, "So you, my fiancé, want to fly in the sky over the biggest ocean on the planet that's infested with sharks and other marine life that will kill you, with my five month old son and my sister? Do you want to take my parents with you too and crash the plane on a deserted island where we'll never find you again?"

James rolled his eyes. It was a bit ridiculous. Emily gulped. She hated flying. She only agreed to this for Terran. She hated flying because she was an earth Samurai. Her feet, and every other part of her body belonged on the ground where it was safe. Serena's prediction for the flight was a horrible one.

"Planes fly to Japan every day," James told Serena, "We'll be fine, right Em?"

Emily got up, "I need to go barf."

Mike raised his hand in the air, "Alright, dude, I'm all for saving Terran and stuff, but… we don't even know this is going to work."

"We might as well try it now. Aren't we trying to make the Nighlok think we're weak?"

Ji sighed. He wasn't against the plan to save his grandson, but he wasn't thrilled about it either.

"We need to make the Nighlok _think _we're weak," Ji nodded his head. "Taking another Ranger out of battle would actually make us weaker. It's a high-risk plan."

Jayden groaned. He looked at Terran who was happy as could be sitting on his mother's lap. He had his favourite blanket stuffed in his mouth as he watched the Samurai talk about him. Occasionally he would smile as they made faces. No matter the expression, whether silly, angry, happy, and downright pissed, Terran would find faces funny. He was a happy baby. He was the most innocent person Jayden had ever met. Everyone had a good reason for arguing the side mission to Japan, but Jayden wanted to risk it. The team was strong. They could handle a couple of days with smaller numbers, especially if it meant giving Terran the best life possible. He didn't deserve his fate.

"Ji can make a few calls," Jayden nodded his head. "We can fly you and Emily and Terran out tonight."

"In the flying metal cage of doom?" Serena shook her head. She shared Emily's fear of flying. "You are not taking my son…"

"What are his options, Serena?" James asked her. Serena huffed but knew James had a point. She put Terran in his lap and stormed off to her bedroom. She knew he was right, but that didn't mean she liked his plan or that she was okay with it. James sighed, "I guess I have a few bags to pack."

"I can help you pack," Jayden offered, "And I can draw you a map to the lake. It'll shorten your trip."

"We'll be home as soon as possible," James told the Samurai, "and we'll keep a low profile."

"I'll go check up on Amelia Earhart," Antonio chuckled as he pointed to the bathroom where Emily was spilling her guts into the toilet. "She's going to love this trip."

As he walked off and Ji got up to start planning for James and Emily's trip, Mia looked to Mike.

"We're going to be okay, right?"

Mike looked back at her before nodding his head. He was a little worried about Emily going on a solo mission, and he was worried about Terran's fate, but he knew he had to keep it together. He knew things would work out.

"Yeah, we're going to be okay," he promised her. "Why don't you go explain what's happening to Kevin? I'll be in the dojo if you need me. Gotta pick up the slack around here," he chuckled.

-Samurai-

The time had come to say goodbye. By pulling some strings, Ji had gotten the travelling trio on a late flight to Japan. All they needed to do was show up at the airport and Ji's friend would guide them through the rest. Emily felt a little safer knowing she would be accompanied by Ji's friend, but her fear of flying still got the better of her. She was a bundle of nerves as the Samurai van pulled into the airport. Mike helped her out of the car and then hugged her tight.

"Once you get to the Tengen Gate you'll give us a call?" he asked and Emily nodded her head. She couldn't wait for that moment, knowing it would be when her feet would be back on solid ground. Mike saw her worried look and hugged her again, this time with a kiss on the top of her head, "You'll be fine."

As Serena unloaded James and Terran's bags from the car, she dropped them on the ground like they meant nothing. James knew she wasn't happy and he couldn't blame her. He was taking everyone she loved high up into the sky in a big metal bird and forcing them to fend for themselves for a couple of days for a plan that might not even work.

"If anything happens to them," Serena glared at James and she kicked the bags to his feet, "you better not come home because I will murder you."

"I'll keep my eyes on them," James promised, though it felt weird to say he was going to protect the Samurai and the Nighlok when he himself was nothing more than an everyday man. He leaned in for a kiss, assuming even an angry Serena wouldn't miss saying goodbye. But she shoved him away.

"And if anything happens to you…"

"I'll be okay," James gave her a comforting smile, "Relax, Serena. I'll have my cell phone and I'll call every few hours if you want me to."

"Never leave Emily's side, got it?" Serena said. James nodded his head.

"Nothing is going to split us up," he promised and gave Serena a kiss on the cheek. "We're going to be okay. We'll be home before you know it."

Serena sighed. She took Terran from James' arms and cuddled her son like she was never going to see him again. She showered him in kisses, told him she loved him and then passed him to James. She then wrapped her arms tightly around her fiancé, wishing he would come back to the Shiba House with her.

"Shiba?" a man walked up to the group as they finished their goodbyes. He pointed to the van and then looked to Jayden, who was dressed in red. Jayden nodded his head and shook the man's hand.

"You're Ji's friend?"

"Yep," the man nodded his head, "They're going to start boarding so if you want to get on this plane then it's time to go."

"We're coming," James smiled. He gave Serena one final kiss and followed the man as he walked off. Emily trailed behind nervously.

"They'll be okay," Jayden said to Serena, "Ji's friends are all reliable. He'll take excellent care of them while they're in the sky."

"That's the least of my worries," Serena muttered. Jayden gave her a strange look.

"Once they're in Japan they'll be well looked after. You trained the guardians yourself. They won't be alone."

Serena climbed back into the van, "Can we just go home? I've been in public for too long anyways. I'm supposed to be dead, remember?"

Jayden looked to Mike and shrugged his shoulders. They were all a little worried but they could ease themselves enough to put on a brave face and actually enjoy the change of pace. They were going to miss James, Emily, and Terran considerably but for the next little while there would be no babies crying, no smelly diapers to change, no hyper Emily, and no worrying about James getting too caught up in the Nighlok war.

"Just think about it, Serena. Tomorrow you can sleep in," Jayden said as he started the van.

-Samurai-

Mia, Ji, Antonio, and Kevin hadn't gone to the airport. They had said their goodbyes at the house. Kevin couldn't leave the bed, never mind the house and at least one more person needed to stay with him. Then, with the bags and Terran's car seat, there was barely any room to fit everyone. Not to mention there needed to be someone at the house ready for a Nighlok attack.

The four of them were in Mia and Kevin's bedroom, though. They wanted to keep track of the flight to put their own minds at ease. The more that went according to plan, the better they felt.

"They took off right on time," Kevin smiled and closed the lid on the laptop. "We can check up on them again in a couple of hours. They won't land for a while still."

"It's too bad we couldn't all go back to Japan," Antonio said from his chair as he munched on a bag of chips. "We kind of skipped the whole sightseeing part of the trip last time."

"I doubt they'll be doing much sightseeing," Mia shook her head. "They'll get to Japan, probably rest at the Tengen Gate for a bit, and then head straight to the lake."

"Let's just hope we can keep the Nighlok in the city," Kevin said. Mia, Ji, and Antonio turned to him. He gave them a look, "What? If a Nighlok attacks it'll be easy to explain what happened to me? Dayu stabbed me and I didn't make it. What'll we say if the Nighlok asks about the yellow Ranger?"

"Sick?" Antonio shrugged. "I'm sure we'll come up with something," he tipped the bag upwards, spilling the chips into his mouth. Ji ripped the bag from his hand.

"Have some fruit or something," he shook his head. "I believe that bag was full when you started."

"Okay, so I'm a little worried."

"They'll be fine as long as they keep a low profile," Mia assured the boys.

"Oh, I'm not worried about that," Antonio shook his head. "I'm worried I didn't pack enough barf bags for Emily. That's a long flight and if she gets airsick on the ground, I can't imagine what she'll be like in the sky without Serena or Mike."

"Until they get home, be extra careful," Kevin warned them, "We can't afford any mistakes; for their sake and for ours."

Just as those words left his mouth, the Gap Sensor blared loudly. Ji raced to the common room to see what had triggered it and came back to tell Mia and Antonio.

"Moogers in the plaza."

Antonio nodded and started for the door. Kevin took Mia's hand as she got up. He tugged, forcing her to turn to look at him.

"Remember our deal. If you break it…"

"It's just Moogers, Kevin," Mia leaned down and kissed him, "I'll be fine."

"Don't push yourself too hard," Kevin told her. She nodded and rushed off with Antonio. Kevin twisted his blanket with his hands before getting an idea.

"Ji, call Jayden and Mike and tell them to stay back too," Ji gave Kevin a curious stare. Kevin smiled. "That way, mine and Emily's absence won't be as noticeable. It's just Moogers."

Ji nodded and quickly dialled Jayden's number.


	170. Checkmate?

The Moogers couldn't have come at a better time for Serena. She was worried about her family going overseas and was in desperate need of something to punch. With the Nighlok unaware of her anxiety, they had no idea what was driving her to fight so ferociously. Their best guess was that it had something to do with Dayu kidnapping Mia and stabbing Kevin (though they weren't completely wrong. Serena was pissed about that).

As she, Antonio, and Mia finished off the last of the Moogers they reassembled in the center of the plaza. When it was a Nighlok battle the Rangers liked to leave as soon as possible, but when it was Moogers they always stuck around, just in case there was one still hiding.

"Are you okay?" Serena looked to Mia. None of the Moogers had done much damage, but Mia was still recovering from her burns and was in a lot more pain than Serena and Antonio. Mia nodded her head, thankful she had her helmet on to mask her face.

"I'll be fine," she grunted a little, which Serena and Antonio both caught. They exchanged a quick glance through their visors but they didn't make much of it. She was still standing on her own and the battle was over now anyways.

"We can get you cleaned up at home," Antonio shrugged his shoulders. He had a final look around the plaza before deciding to call an end to the fight. It seemed they had gotten all the Moogers. He signalled it was time to head out and as the Rangers disappeared from the plaza, leaving before anyone turned up, they failed to see Serrator stepping out from behind a pillar.

"Three out of seven Rangers?" he asked himself and stroked his chin. It was intriguing that only three of the Rangers had turned up. He knew of Dayu's attack on the blue Ranger and assumed, whether the blue Ranger was still alive or not, that he wouldn't be battle-ready so quickly, but that still left three Rangers unaccounted for.

"Yellow, Green, and Red," Dayu whispered in his ear as she appeared from a Gap behind him. Dekker was by her side. Serrator nodded his head.

"I noticed," Serena nodded his head. He looked to Dayu, "Your focus is still the white Ranger. Are you any closer to finding out her identity?"

Dayu sighed, "Serena is dead and the pink Ranger assured me the white Ranger is a stranger…"

"Humans lie, Dayu," Serrator reminded her somewhat condescendingly, "They are horrible for it."

"I trust she was telling me the truth…"

"Trust will get you nowhere. Do you think I trust you?" when Dayu nodded her head, Serrator smiled, "Good. Now find a way to draw out the white Ranger or Serena so we can get to the bottom of this. I have a feeling Xandred will be in the bottom of the river for a while, but I wouldn't like to be the first Nighlok to get in his way when he realizes the Rangers' numbers have grown once more."

"I'd love for you to be that Nighlok," Dayu muttered. Serrator heard her but he let it slide. He knew she hated him and was waiting for the moment where he was destroyed, but for now she was working for him. He was going to milk that for all it was worth. After all, the only way to know when she was going to turn on him was to keep him close.

Same with Dekker. To keep the lone warrior under control he needed to keep his eye on him. He turned to Dekker, a wide grin on his face.

"Without harming red, find out where those three missing Rangers are and what they are doing. It's not like them to not turn up. Red Ranger especially."

"Or they're getting smarter," Dekker said and then bowed to Serrator, "but I guess I have nothing better to do."

Dekker immediately turned to leave. It had been a while since he had done anything and he was itching for a little fun.

Dayu hesitated for a moment. Serrator opened a Gap but before jumping in he looked to her.

"You have your orders. Flush her out. Get her alone, kill her, and make sure she's dead."

"The pink Ranger wouldn't lie…"

"Stop these games, Dayu. Next time you see the white Ranger or Serena the murder should be done in minutes. No more torture, no more leaving her to suffer a slow and painful death. When you walk away, her body should be stone cold. Am I clear?"

"Crystal," Dayu growled.

-Samurai-

The flight was long and terrible. Between keeping Terran entertained for hours and keeping Emily's nerves calmed, James didn't have a single moment where he could just lean back in his chair and relax. But he continued to remind himself why he was doing this because right now, Terran's fate was the only thing keeping him from turning back and calling it quits.

Ji had called the Tengen Gate to arrange for someone to pick James, Emily, and Terran up from the airport, saving them the hassle of walking all the way. James was thankful because after the long plane ride everyone was exhausted. The three of them napped the entire way.

As they pulled into the Gate, James couldn't believe his eyes. The Tengen Gate was exactly how he had pictured it, but at the same time it was so much more incredible than he ever could have imagined. Guardians unloaded the car, taking the luggage off his hands while he admired the view.

"Serena lived here?" he looked to Emily.

"For a few months. She lived here with Dekker," a malicious smirk appeared on her face, "You know, timing would suggest that Terran was actually conceived here."

"Why tell me that?" James frowned. Emily got Terran's car seat out of the back of the car.

"Because you put me in a plane!"

James sighed, "Fair enough."

While the guardians carried James', Emily's, and Terran's bags inside, one of them approached James and Emily, bowing slightly once he arrived. Emily bowed in return and James followed her lead. He had planned on learning a bit on Japanese customs on the plane but hadn't found the time.

"Osamu," the guardian introduced himself, "I'm sort of the one in charge here."

"Sort of?" James asked.

"We all have our responsibilities," Osamu explained, "but when the position of elder guardian was dropped, someone had to take the lead. The responsibility fell on my shoulders. While you are visiting, I will do all I can to make your stay enjoyable. In preparation for your arrival, we have gotten Serena's old room ready."

"That's the room Terran was conceived in," Emily whispered to James. James shuttered at the thought.

"The couch will be fine," James assured Osamu. Emily nodded to agree. Though she loved torturing James with these little facts, it was still Dekker and her sister.

Emily shifted Terran's car seat so she was holding it with her other hand as she looked up to James.

"So we rest here and then when we're ready we head out?"

"That's the plan," James gestured to the Gate, "After you."

-Samurai-

Serena was feeling better now that she had gotten a call from James. He, Emily, and Terran had survived the flight and made it to the Tengen Gate without any problems (though James would argue). They were now resting up from the flight and building up their strength to head out to the lake to hopefully save Terran. With her family no longer up in the sky, and the Nighlok still clueless about their whereabouts, Serena was feeling a lot more confident that this mission could go off without a hitch.

"Look who's finally walking," she smirked as Kevin, assisted by Mia and Mike, walked to the common room for the first time since being stabbed. He was gently lowered onto his stool and he examined his bandage, just to make sure he hadn't pulled the stitching.

"I was going mad," Kevin nodded his head, "Do you know how boring it is being confined to one room for that long."

Serena didn't bother with a response. She simply shot him a look and grabbed her bag.

"I've got to be at the school for a few hours."

"Less than a month left until summer vacation," Mia reminded her with a grin.

Serena nodded her head, happy for some time off, especially now that things were picking up in her Samurai life. She hoped Xandred and the Nighlok could be defeated before September, if not she was going to have to figure out what was more important: supporting her family or saving the world. She was quickly starting to realize she couldn't do both, even after cutting down her hours at the school.

"I'll be home in a couple of hours," she said from the door.

"Blend in with the crowd!" Mike reminded her, "Don't let too many people see your face!"

"I know, I know," Serena nodded. She was taking a big risk leaving the house, knowing there was a chance she bump into Dayu or Serrator, but she couldn't not turn up at the school. The kids needed her. The teachers needed her.

She was going through her bag as she walked to the end of the yard, where James had left his car. He was away so she knew he wouldn't need it and figured he wouldn't mind if she used it to get to work. And even if he did, he had taken her sister and son overseas in a flying metal deathtrap. He owed her. As she fiddled through her bag in search of his car keys, she heard someone sucking in air through their teeth. She stopped dead in her tracks. Everyone was supposed to be home and the Shiba House was a secret to civilians.

"Well, well, well," Serena's blood froze. She recognized that voice. It still haunted her nightmares, with good reason. Looking up she saw Dayu standing at the end of the path, just on the other side of the opened Gate. Serena looked around at the floating symbols. Right now they were the only things keeping her safe. With Terran gone, Jayden had boosted their power to keep all Nighlok out, including Dekker and Dayu. He had figured it was the safest thing to do and he was right. Right now, that decision was saving her life.

"Have you just been standing there?" she asked, trying not to show any fear, but she felt her legs go numb. Dayu nodded her head.

"Serrator wanted me to flush out the white Ranger. I figured why not come here and see how long it takes the white Ranger to turn up? Turns out, she's the first one I see?"

"You think…?" Serena scoffed and shook her head, "I'm not the white Ranger. How did you get here? Why aren't the Gap Sensors going off?"

Another thing that had been adjusted temporarily while Terran was out of town. The Gap Sensors were now sensitive enough to pick up on Dayu and Dekker. Unfortunately, they were either broken, or Dayu was smart enough to avoid them all.

"I've been alive for centuries," Dayu said, "You think I don't know where you Samurai have hidden all your sensors?"

Dayu took a step forward by the protective symbols flared up, warning her to stay out. Serena knew Dayu wouldn't want to get too close. She had been hit by the symbols once when the previous Nighlok tried to impersonate Terran. They _hurt._

Serena smirked slightly, "You can't get me. Not while I stay in here."

"There are ways of drawing you out," Dayu shrugged. She crossed her arms over her chest, "Someone is going to have to leave this house at some point. I can wait."

From inside the house, the others had figured out what was going on. While Dayu hadn't set off any alarms, her signal had appeared on the map when she got closer to the shield around the house. Jayden, Antonio, Mike, Mia, and Ji all stepped out to see what was going on. Dayu smirked. Her mission wasn't to find out what happened to Red, Green, and Yellow, but now she knew Red and Green were safe at home. She gave them a glance and then focused her attention on Mia.

"You lied to me."

"You killed my fiancé," Mia growled, "What did you expect?"

A delighted grin appeared on Dayu's lips, "Well, karma's a bitch, isn't it?" she looked over the Rangers once more. Blue was dead, according to pink, and she had seen Green and Red, but Yellow was still missing. She turned to Serena, "Your sister?"

"Inside," Mike answered and grabbed Serena's arm, reining her in before she did anything stupid. "Someone's got to watch Terran."

"Inside? Just like how the blue Ranger is dead?" Dayu turned back to Mia, "You lied to me once, pink Ranger. I gave you a chance…"

"You gave me a chance?" Mia screamed. She ripped her dressing off her arm, revealing her burns, "Yeah, I'm real lucky I ran into you, Dayu!"

"Go inside," Ji grabbed Mia's arm gently, pulling her with him to the door, "Dayu's no danger to us while we're in here."

"I can wait around forever," Dayu called as the Samurai started making their way back inside the house.

"She's twisted enough to do exactly that," Antonio said once everyone was inside and he closed the door. "What's a few weeks when you're practically immortal?"

"A few weeks?" Mike frowned, "Why do you say that?"

"We've got enough food to last us a few weeks," Antonio pointed to the kitchen.

"What if a Nighlok turns up?" Mia asked. "We can't leave it to tear up the city. We'll have to leave then. Dayu's just got to wait long enough for one to turn up."

"Knowing Serrator, that won't be long," Jayden said. He turned to Antonio and gave him a worried look. Antonio gulped and saw the chess board in the corner of the kitchen, just down the hall.

"Checkmate?"


	171. Missions

Serena phoned in sick to the school (late – Stevens was _not_ happy, but he was never happy with her anymore). With Dayu monitoring the ins and the outs of the Shiba House, there was no way anyone could leave.

They had no idea how long Dayu would keep this up for, but knowing her, the Samurai were preparing for the worst. Antonio and Ji were rationing all the food in the house to last as long as possible while Jayden, Kevin, Mike, and Mia were trying to come up with a way to defend the city without putting themselves in danger.

Serena sat by the window. All the curtains had been closed to keep Dayu from seeing inside the house, but Serena had made herself a peephole so she could watch the Nighlok. She felt guilty for this. Dayu was doing this siege of the Shiba House because of her – because she wanted Serena. Unless Serena went out there and killed herself, or let Dayu kill her, everyone inside the Shiba House would suffer alongside her.

"Here," a cup of water was handed to her over her shoulder. Serena took it as Mike sat down next to her. "It's the only thing we're not going to run out of."

"She can't keep this up," Serena clutched the cup tightly in her hands, "She's got to give up, eventually."

"We're sending the Zords out," Mike said. "If Serrator sends a Nighlok into the city, the Zords agreed to go out and fight for us. They're more than capable. It'll cause a lot of destruction in the city, though, but…"

"Hey, if the Sanzu River floods the Earth there won't be any city left to repair," Serena nodded her head, "Good idea."

"Ape Zord's idea, actually," Mike pointed to the Ape Zord on the table. Serena furrowed her brow slightly.

"Emily didn't take her?"

"She can summon the ape from anywhere," Mike said, "So we agreed it was best to leave her here with the others. Actually, Emily suggested it because the Ape Zord's babysitting you."

Serena chuckled, "Of course she is," her smile faded as she turned back to the window and glance through her peephole. Mike put his hand on her arm, rubbing it comfortingly.

"We'll figure this out, okay? Don't feel bad. No one blames you."

Just then, Serena's Samuraizer went off and she hurriedly answered it.

"What's up?"

-Samurai-

After a much needed sleep, James and Emily were finally ready to head out with Terran in search of the lake that would hopefully remove Terran's Nighlok existence and turn him into a full blooded human. Emily was still uncertain about the idea, because they were just going off of James' hunch, but decided to go along with it just in case the hunch was correct. She would do anything for her nephew. This was no exception.

But before leaving for their journey, Emily couldn't forget to call Serena and Mike to let them know what was happening.

"What's up?" Serena's voice answered her call. Emily smiled, happy to hear her sister.

"We're heading out. Just thought we'd give you the heads up."

"Be very careful, Emily. Tell James to be careful too. Make sure he sticks by you."

"I'll make sure he's safe," Emily promised. "If all goes well, we'll be home before you know it."

There was a silence on the other end. It wasn't a silence Emily was expecting, and it wasn't a silence that made her feel comfortable. It was a silence that indicated something was wrong.

"Serena?"

"I'd rather you spend a few extra days at the Tengen Gate," Serena finally spoke again. "If it does work, I want to make sure everything's okay with Terran. Osamu and the other guardians are great with first aid and stuff. And if something goes wrong, you'll have so many more resources at your disposal to look after him."

"You want me to stay?" Emily frowned. "Um, I'm not thrilled about getting back on a plane, but I want to be home as soon as…"

"Don't argue with me, Emily," Serena growled. "That's my son you took with you. My decision is final."

"Serena!"

"Stay at the Tengen Gate until I call," Serena stated forcefully. Emily decided to back down. Right now it wasn't much of an issue. Her focus was getting to the lake without any problems arising, and then getting back to the Tengen Gate.

"Okay, fine," Emily muttered. "I'll call when we're back and I'll let you know what happened."

"Thanks, Emy. I love you. Tell James I love him too."

"I love you, Serena," Emily nodded her head.

"I love you!" Mike shouted on the other end, causing Emily to giggle. She told Mike she loved him through Serena and then hung up and looked to James, who had just finished strapping Terran into the baby carrier on his chest. James looked down a little weirdly. It was his first time wearing this.

"I feel like a kangaroo."

"You look like one," Emily said. She picked up the back pack the guardians had packed for her and put it on. "We should go now. The sooner we leave, the sooner we get to the lake. Do you have the map?"

"Terran's got it," James pointed to the paper in Terran's mouth and gently took it back from his son. He had a look at it and chuckled, "Well, the kid's definitely part-Nighlok. He just flooded the Tengen Gate and half the forest with his spit."

"Better spit than Sanzu Water. You did pack that, right?"

"In your bag," James nodded. He walked to the door, "Alright, this looks like it's about a day's walk. You ready?"

"Nope. I have a bad feeling."

"That's the spirit," James shook his head and led the way out.

-Samurai-

Because Dayu was still right outside their home, the Samurai didn't feel safe going to their rooms for bed. They had gathered some mats, pillows, and blankets and were going to spend the night together in the common room.

Mia and Kevin were cuddling together on one mat. Since Dayu had turned up, they hadn't left each other's side once. Kevin was worried Mia would do something stupid or dangerous and Mia couldn't even bear the thought of taking her eye of Kevin and risk anything happening to him. He could move around, but he was still seriously injured. At any time the stitching could tear and he could start to bleed. Even worse, at any time Dayu could find a way to break through the protective symbols and get into the house. Though the Nighlok was after Serena, and she was angry with Mia for being lied to, Kevin was the weakest and Dayu was twisted enough to kill him for it.

Ji had his own mat in the corner of the room, just under the window where Serena made her peephole. He didn't feel safe at all, but he felt like he was doing something to protect his Samurai by putting himself between them and Dayu. He doubted he was going to get much sleep.

Jayden and Antonio shared a mat as well. Antonio tried to hide it by making the house laugh, but he was unsettled by Dayu's presence and as night fell over the Shiba House, he had pulled in closer and closer to Jayden, who was happy to take his boyfriend into his arms and keep him safe. Jayden was somewhat scared but knew, for his team's sake, he had to be brave. They couldn't fall apart now. They needed to be strong. It was their only hope.

Mike had his own mat and was playing with his handheld video games under a blanket. He was worried about Dayu and what would happen if she didn't leave soon, but he also had Emily and Terran to worry about. Even though so far everything seemed to be going well overseas, things could change in a moment and he was very aware of the fact that he wouldn't know if something did go wrong. There would be no phone call or alarm. Something could have already happened between the last call and now. But he managed to stay calm. He trusted Emily was strong enough to take care of herself, Terran, and James, and she also had all the guardians at the Tengen Gate who were willing to help.

Serena had set up her mat by the map, but now that it was getting late and really dark, she was having second thoughts. Scruffy was lying down beside her and she stroked his fur mindlessly, but even he couldn't take her mind off what was happening. Mini-explosion sounds were coming from Mike's video games every few seconds, which meant his player was being blown up. Serena was sure that meant he had fallen asleep without turning the game off. Antonio and Jayden were sleeping, curled up in each other's arms. Mia and Kevin had only just closed their eyes, meaning they had just fallen asleep.

Without saying anything, Serena got up and dragged her mat closer to Ji. He looked at her.

"Are you scared?"

She nodded her head, "I don't know what to do. Dayu's at my door, the whole team is in danger, and Emily, James, and Terran are in Japan."

"Do as you always do, Serena," Ji reached out and pulled her mat so it was right beside his, "We'll figure this out, before James comes home."

"I didn't want to worry them," Serena said in regards to the phone call, where she had decided against telling Emily about Dayu. "They've got enough to deal with already."

Ji nodded his head. He draped her blanket over her legs, "Get some sleep, Serena. I won't let anything happen."

Serena laid her head down on her pillow. Scruffy laid beside her, nestling into her arms, knowing she needed comfort. Ji pulled the blanket over them and gave her a warm smile, "You know, when your grandmother was a Samurai, I was just a young boy."

"Yeah, I know," Serena nodded.

Ji smiled, "It is hard to grow up in this house. You live in constant fear, especially when the Nighlok are active. As a young boy, I had trouble sleeping on some nights. Your grandmother would always sing her special lullaby to me."

"She sang it to me when I was little too," Serena had a bright smile on her face. "I haven't heard it in years, though."

"I still remember it," Ji laid down on his mat, beside Serena. "From time to time, I sang it to Jayden. Especially after his father died. He always said it made him feel safe."

"Can you sing it?" Serena asked. Ji chuckled and nodded his head.

"Why do you think I brought it up? Close your eyes."

-Samurai-

Over in Japan, James and Emily were deep into the forest, but they were still far from the lake. Terran was getting a bit restless so they had to stop. James took him out of the carrier and set him down on a blanket on the ground. Emily collected a few sticks, put them into a pile and then started a fire with the matches from her bag. She pulled out a bottle for Terran. Once the fire settled a bit, she would warm it up for him.

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Emily asked James, "Because if it doesn't, this is a long way to go just to baptise him."

"It's worth a try."

"I know," Emily took her Samuraizer out of her pocket, "Mind if I try the symbol on you?"

"Why?"

"Some symbols hurt. When I hit Terran, I don't want to hurt him. Especially if this isn't going to work."

"It didn't hurt Serena when she used it."

"I could have stabbed Serena's legs with a kitchen knife and that wouldn't have hurt," Emily rolled her eyes, "Just stand still, please."

James did as he was asked until the symbol can flying at him. He flinched, but ultimately he was hit by the symbol. He had happy when it didn't hurt him in the slightest.

"I'm fine."

"I know," Emily giggled, "It is heal, after all."

"But you said…"

"You're funny when you get scared."

James rolled his eyes, "I'll get you back for that."

"No you won't," Emily smiled as she set up the fire to warm the bottle for Terran.

-Samurai-

Dekker had been asked by Serrator to search for the missing Rangers. He had gotten word of the red and green Rangers turning up at their home, and the Samurai wanted the Nighlok to believe the blue Ranger was dead, so that solved that, but that also left the yellow Ranger unaccounted for.

He knew she could be home with the other Samurai, but there was also a chance she was somewhere else. It would have been foolish for the Samurai to split up and leave _one_ of their own on her own, but if it helped Dekker complete his mission for Serrator faster, he wouldn't complain.

The only problem was that she seemed to be nowhere in the city. The city was big, and it was impossible to cover it all in so little time, but Dekker was sure that if she was near, he would have found her by now. So he returned to the forest, where Serrator seemed to be waiting for him.

"Have you heard?" Serrator asked when he heard Dekker approaching.

"A Mooger informed me. The Samurai thought they could trick us."

"They could possibly," Serrator nodded, "We can never be sure what they have planned. Red, Green, Blue, and Yellow could still have something planned for us."

"I'm sure Dayu will take care of the Samurai."

"Serena is still alive," Serrator glanced over his shoulder. He knew all about Dekker's affair with Serena, and he knew all about Dekker's memory loss, but it still amused him to see what Dekker's reaction would be when her name came up. Dekker didn't react at all, which was a good thing for Serrator. Even in his darkest moments, Dekker was fiercely protective of Serena.

"The Samurai Dayu swore she killed?"

"Yes. She made the mistake of walking right up to Dayu. Unfortunately, there's no way to get past those symbols. We'll have to wait for the Samurai to come out of their home of their own free will."

"How do we do that?"

"Very easily," Serrator smirked. "Serena's sister is the yellow Ranger."

"What's your point?" Dekker asked. "I cannot find her."

"She's somewhere, Dekker. Humans don't just disappear. Find her and bring her to me – alive."

"Alive?" Dekker groaned. "You know that's not going to be easy."

"Have you gone soft on me Dekker? Are you trying to tell me you're not the warrior I thought you were?"

"You warrior you turned me into?" Dekker frowned.

"Precisely."

"I'm a killer."

"Then kill the yellow Ranger like Dayu killed Serena. Just make sure she's at least got a pulse when she gets to me."

"Isn't there another way to draw the Samurai out of hiding?"

"If you have any other ideas feel free to try them out. If not, I'll be right here waiting for my live bait."

Dekker stood still for a moment, scowling at Serrator before he finally turned his back and walked off. His mission wasn't impossible, but it was going to be difficult.


	172. Dekker's Attack

Because Ji didn't sleep that night, he was the first one up, and therefore he decided he should be the one to make the Rangers breakfast. Feeling they wouldn't be eating much, he didn't prepare much. He made some toast and cut up some fruit to make a salad and delivered it all to the Rangers in the common room, waking them up at the same time.

"Good morning," he told them as they lifted their heads from their pillows. He knew what their first thoughts were going to be, "Dayu's still out there. It seems she's in this for the long haul."

"You've got to give her points for determination and patience," Antonio muttered as he grabbed some toast.

Ji gave a quick nod with his head and then looked to Kevin and Mia. He sat down beside them and had Kevin lift his shirt so he could clean his injury and change the dressing. He would do the same with Mia and her burns once he was finished with Kevin.

"We need to do something," Jayden said and glanced to the window. The curtains were still closed, giving the Rangers their privacy, but he knew exactly what was on the other side. He wouldn't admit it to the others, but he had had a nightmare about Dayu getting into the house. He knew that wasn't the case right now, but the Rangers needed to be ready for anything.

"Okay, well, if we stick to the Kevin's dead theory, there are still five Rangers who can take her on. She would be outnumbered. She couldn't kill us all."

"She just wants to kill one of us," Antonio nodded his head in Serena's direction, "and I've got a feeling she won't stop there. If she thinks she can, she's going to kill us all."

"Not to mention she's only outnumbered now, but she's got an army at her disposal," Kevin reminded Mike, "You remember the Moogers, right? She can call them at any time. She's probably got them waiting for us just outside the Gates, where we can't see them."

"Moogers are Moogers, guys…"

"Yeah, just another enemy swinging sharp blades at your head," Serena rolled her eyes, "It's not like they've never caused any damage before."

"Rangers," Ji pointed to the dojo, "Perhaps this would be a good time to train instead of argue?"

"I'll keep an eye on Dayu through the peephole," Kevin said, "Mentor's right, you guys should be training."

-Samurai-

After a night of searching, Dekker was positive the yellow Ranger was no longer in the city. He grew increasingly frustrated as the sun rose, marking the point where he would have to stick to the shadows to avoid causing chaos. If the yellow Ranger knew he was looking for her, she would go into hiding. Dekker needed her to think she was safe.

Suddenly, he heard a faint ringing in his ears and he looked to Urumasa, "Why didn't you say anything earlier?" he asked the blade. Urumasa's powers were incredible. His sword could lead him from opponent to opponent just as long as Dekker was willing to follow. There wasn't an enemy in the world who could hide from him for long. Urumasa rang again in Dekker's ears, telling him where he needed to be if he wanted to find the yellow Ranger. As the ringing subsided, a Gap opened up and Dekker was sucked in.

-Samurai-

"It's getting late," James said. One thing he hated about travel was the time change. Though it was morning at home, the day was coming to an end here, meaning the forest would soon be dark. He was still a little tired from his flight, but his body was telling him it wasn't time for bed. It was going to take him hours to sleep. Unfortunately, once the sun set, it was going to be hard to travel through the forest, even with the flashlights the guardians had given him and Emily.

"We can't stop," Emily shook her head. "The faster we get to the lake…"

"Em, there's no use traveling in the dark. We can sleep here until sunrise and we'll head out. We'll still get to the lake in the morning and you'll have enough energy to use that symbol."

Emily sighed. He had a point. She dropped her bag on the ground and took a seat. James unstrapped Terran from the carrier and placed him on the blanket Emily was spreading out. Emily wrapped him up warmly and pulled him into her arms so he could sleep safely and comfortably.

"Just a few hours," she told James, "I wanna go home."

"We'll be home before you know it," James promised her as he started on a fire to keep them warm once the temperature dropped.

A little ways off, a red glow shone under a rock only seconds before Dekker appeared. As soon as he was steady on his feet, he drew Urumasa, hoping his sword could guide him the rest of the wall, but all it told him was that he was close to a battle. He sighed, knowing he was on his own again.

Then, a sound caught his ear. Crackling from a fire; he knew it well. Someone was nearby. Turning around, he saw a faint glow between the trees, where the fire burned. He slowly made his way over, careful not to step on any leaves or twigs. It was dark, so she shadows would cover him as long as he didn't make a sound.

He stalked over to the flames and saw three bodies. One was just a human baby, completely defenseless and useless to Dekker until he got a better look at his face. This was Serena's baby, the baby he had met months ago and rescued from Dayu. But his mission was not to take Serena's baby, not that he would ever harm the child. His mission was to go after her sister.

There was also a man, tending to the fire. Dekker hadn't been spotted by the man yet, but he was in danger of being seen. Still, confidence was not something Dekker lacked. He was sure he had chosen a good spot to stand without being in danger of being detected.

Holding the baby was a young woman: live bait. With his eyes on his prey, he drew his sword. He couldn't kill her, but that was it. Anything would do as long as she wasn't dead.

-Samurai-

Mike practiced his symbol power using one of Ji's bonsai. As he had been training, he got a thought. The Rangers couldn't go beyond the protective symbols because they would be open target for Dayu, but there was nothing stopping their symbol power from traveling through and attacking her. His vines, especially, were a great weapon for getting rid of the Nighlok.

"I still have a bit of wiggle room," Antonio said. He had volunteered himself as dummy for Mike's attack. Before they went out there and took on Dayu with their symbols, they wanted to make sure their plan of attack was foolproof. They couldn't afford any wiggle room.

"Tighter, Mike," Serena told him. "You strangled my sister, remember? Like that."

"Yeah, I kind of untaught myself that little trick," Mike muttered.

Serena gave him a glare, "Oh, now you smarten up?"

Mike nodded and released his vines from around Antonio. "I'll go practice a tight squeeze on a dummy. You guys should work on your own symbols."

"Mine's easy," Antonio smirked, texting a symbol into his phone. Suddenly, the lights in the house shone brightly, blinding the Rangers. "Dayu can't attack what she can't see."

"Neither can we," Jayden gave his boyfriend as pat on the shoulder as the lights dimmed back to normal. "But keep working on it."

"If Antonio blinds her before we run out of the house, she'll still have spots in her eyes when we go out there," Serena said. "And Mia can keep the wind blowing, I can cause an earthquake, Dayu will be somewhat blind and off balance. She'll be unable to defend herself, at least. Mike can grab her with his vines and hold her still, and then Jayden can…"

"Burn her to a crisp?" Mia asked with a grin, "There's real karma, Dayu."

"Hopefully that'll be enough to convince her this siege isn't worth her time," Antonio nodded.

"Yeah, you go practice blinding people in the other room," Jayden smirked and kindly shoved his boyfriend towards the door, "We all need to see what we're practicing."

"After some practice we'll all do a few practice runs, just to make sure we've got everything right. We can't afford a screw up," Serena said.

-Samurai-

Dekker had come out of nowhere, taking James and Emily by surprise. They had no idea any of the Nighlok knew they were out of Panorama city, never mind that they would find them here in the middle of nowhere in Japan.

James had taken Terran from Emily once Dekker turned up and attacked. James would have taken on the warrior himself, but he knew it was a stupid way to get himself killed. Though he had improved quite a bit while training with the Samurai, he was barely confident enough to handle more than a couple of Moogers at once. Dekker was one of the strongest warriors and would easily slice him in half in a moment.

Maybe less time, with the way he was beating into Emily, like there was nothing else he wanted but to see her dead. James couldn't let that happen. Without Emily, this trip would be for nothing. He had no symbol power, and thus no way to heal Terran if they got to the lake. Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do to stop Dekker.

"James!" Emily screamed after hitting the ground once again and seeing James still watching her battle with Terran, "RUN!"

James shook his head. He couldn't leave. He shielded Terran as best as he could, trying to keep his son calm.

"This can all end now, yellow Ranger," Dekker said as he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her feet. Emily could barely stand on her own at this point, but there was no way she was giving Dekker what he wanted. She tried to hit him with her sword, but he knocked it from her hand and stepped on it once it touched the ground. Knowing she wouldn't go without a fight, Dekker dropped Urumasa and grabbed her helmet in his hands. He pulled her closer to a tree and with all his strength he smashed her head, cracking her helmet, forcing her to power down. She slumped in Dekker's arms, finally beaten. Dekker put her over his shoulder and turned to leave.

"Wait!" James screamed. He set on the ground and stood before him, "Where are you going?"

James couldn't let Dekker leave with Emily, not just because Serena would kill him, but because of Terran. Emily and Terran both needed to reach that lake or this whole mission would be for nothing.

"Serrator wants her."

"For what?"

"None of your business," Dekker answered, "But rest assured. He needs her alive."

"She won't do anything you ask," James said.

"Take me instead. I'll do whatever you want."

Dekker shook his head, "No."

"I know the Samurai," James was desperate at this point. "I can act as bait, or I can be a Trojan horse or… or anything. They'll do anything to keep me safe."

Dekker thought about it for a moment. He had defeated the yellow Ranger, so getting her back to Serrator wouldn't be a problem, but it was obvious she wouldn't do anything she was asked and would resist as much as possible. James, however, was offering himself, promising he would do anything. It would make Serrator's plan a lot easier if they had live, willing bait.

Dekker dropped Emily to the ground and gestured for James to follow him. When the man was close, he grabbed his arm tightly.

"Have you ever travelled through a Nighlok Gap before?"

James shook his head. He knew it was possible for humans, but he also heard from Serena that too much travel was dangerous. Still, he didn't regret his sacrifice.

"Don't do anything stupid, human," Dekker warned him. James nodded his head and quickly glanced over his shoulder to look at Emily and Terran. He was screaming loudly for someone to pick him up and comfort him, and she seems lifeless. James gulped, hoping he wasn't already too late. Suddenly, a bright, red light blinded him and he was pulled away from the human world.

Still in the forest, it took Emily a moment to get her bearings. Her ears were ringing loudly and her head was throbbing, but she managed to get onto all fours and she crawled over to Terran. She could barely hear his creaming over the ringing and pounding in her head, but she knew he wasn't happy, and he had every right to be.

"Let's not let Daddy's sacrifice be in vain," Emily whispered to him. She reached for the bag and grabbed the map. She wasn't too far from the lake, but it would still be a couple of hours. She hugged Terran close to her chest and fumbled around for her Samuraizer, only to realize she had dropped it by the tree after being smashed in the head. It was too far to crawl back, so with her hand, Emily traced the symbol that would take her the rest of the way. It would use up a lot of energy but she had no choice. Walking all that way would drain her just as much.

She appeared by the lake's edge and set Terran down in the shallow water, holding his head up so he wouldn't drown. She was tired, she was sore, she had no idea how she was going to make it back home, but James had turned himself over to Dekker. The least she could do was try his plan. With a shaky hand, and all her energy focused on this one symbol, she traced heal in the air and let the symbol and the water sink into her nephew.

Before she could find out whether or not James was right, she blacked out, falling face first into the water. Terran went under with her.


	173. The Big Sacrifice

Bait. James was being used as bait.

Dayu had the Shiba House surrounded, keeping the Rangers as hostages in their own home. She had seen Serena and knew the truth. Serena was alive and well, and she was the mysterious white Ranger.

Unfortunately, she was also on the other side of the protective symbols, making it impossible for Dayu, Serrator, or Dekker to finally finish her off.

That was where James was needed Serrator planned on using him to force Serena and the Samurai to come out.

When Dekker had brought him back, Serrator hadn't been happy at first, but when he realized James was Serena's fiancé, he knew his plan could still work. He had Dekker tie James' arms behind his back and blindfold him. James didn't resist at all. He had promised he wouldn't and he worried that if he broke that promise, Serrator would change his mind about using live bait.

"One way or another," James felt Serrator grab his face, "I hope, before you left, you said goodbye to your lover. You'll never see her again."

-Samurai-

After doing a few tests runs, the Rangers were confident their plan would work. Now all they needed to do was rest up, get their energy back, and they would have Dayu begging for mercy in no time.

"She'll have no idea what hit her," Antonio said. He was practically bouncing in his seat, excited to finally turn the tables on the Nighlok. "I can't wait to see her face when…"

"It'll look something like this," Kevin interrupted, his face as pale as it had ever been as he moved away from the peephole. His look went straight to Serena, "You're not going to believe this."

Serena walked over to the window and had a quick look out before she fell to her knees, "No… No, no, no, no, no! That's a trick!"

"Rangers!" Serrator's voice cried out, reaching all of their ears. "Guess who I've got!"

"Kill them," Serena looked to Jayden. "We're not scaring them away, we're killing them."

"Who does he have?" Mia asked. Serena didn't answer. She got to her feet and raced for the door. She unlocked it and rushed outside, stopping just short of the shield. Jayden, Mike, Antonio, and Mia were right behind her, and before Ji could close the door again, Scruffy raced out. He knew the house had been in a state of panic for a while and with everyone rushing outside, he wanted to see what was going on and he wanted to help.

Mike caught his collar before he ran too far, "Scruffers, no."

Scruffy wouldn't back down. He growled at Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu.

Serrator looked at the dog, then to Serena, "The deal is simple," he told you, "You come out, your fiancé lives."

Serena shook her head and was rewarded with Urumasa pressed against James' throat. She froze up. The Nighlok weren't bluffing. If she didn't do as they asked, they were going to kill him. James whimpered slightly. He couldn't see what was going on but he felt the cool blade against his skin.

"Our plan, remember?" Antonio said quietly so the Nighlok wouldn't hear. Serena shook her head. She couldn't let the Samurai attack Serrator, Dekker, and Dayu. There was too much of a risk with James in the way.

"I should be dead anyways," Serena pulled her Samuraizer from her pocket and morphed. Jayden and Antonio grabbed her arms before she could cross the shield.

"Serena, no!" James shouted.

"So I was right," Serrator smirked. He now found himself standing before the white Ranger, "You're the Rangers' mysterious secret weapon. I've give you a few points. The idea had merit."

"Let him go," Serena drew her sword and pointed it at James, "He's nothing to you."

"But he means the world to you," Serrator said. "Why not come and get him?" Serrator took a step back. Dayu and Dekker followed, pulling James further out of reach for Serena. Behind her, she saw a flash of light and knew the other Rangers were morphed.

"Home, Scruffers," Mike ordered the dog but Scruffy didn't budge. If the Rangers were fighting, so was he. Mike pushed the dog towards the house. "Home!" he commanded loudly.

"Hold him," Serena turned around and looked at Mike, "Keep him and James safe when you can. Don't take the blindfold off him."

Mike looked at Serena, "This is suicide. Serena, what about Emily?"

"The yellow Ranger?" Serrator asked. He glanced to Dekker quickly, "Why don't you share your story with these Samurai. After all, they probably already know how it ended."

It finally occurred to Mike. James and Emily were together. Unless they had gotten separated, which Mike hoped was the case, Dekker had gone through Emily.

"Kill him," he growled to Serena. She nodded her head and raced through the shield. Jayden, Antonio, and Mia followed, offering up enough of a challenge to hopefully get everyone back on Shiba grounds alive.

Serena went right for Serrator, while Antonio stuck close to Mia to challenge Dayu. Jayden went for Dekker and quickly pulled the warrior away from James.

"Mike!" he shouted, "Vines!"

Mike nodded his head. This was why Jayden was leader. Mike never would have thought to pull James over to safety once Dekker let him go. With one hand still holding Scruffy's collar, Mike summoned vines from the trees that grabbed James and lifted him up before dropping him back down on safe grounds, behind the shield. Mike put his hand on James' shoulder, but respecting Serena's request, he didn't take the blindfold off, nor did he untie James. He knew Serena wouldn't want James to see it if something happened to her.

Mike thought of pulling the others back to safety, but with so many swords flying around, he doubted he get the vines to grab the Samurai, and with Scruffy barking and pulling on Mike's arm, he couldn't focus enough to do a proper symbol.

"Scruffy, stop it!" he shouted but the dog only barked louder. Scruffy shook his head from side to side. He was doing everything he could to force Mike to let go.

Jayden fought with everything he could against Dekker, hoping the fight wouldn't last for too long. As best as he could, he inched his way back towards the house. Once he was behind the shield he was safe.

Mia and Antonio were doing the same now that they knew James was safe. With the two of them holding off Dayu, it was much easier to get back. They were only inches from the shield when Antonio pushed Mia, forcing her across before she decided to get one last swing in against Dayu. He then sliced the Nighlok, forcing her back, while he jumped across, panting loudly.

"Jayden, Serena! Hurry up!" he shouted. Dayu no longer had any opponents, which meant she was free to go after either Jayden or Serena.

"Scruffy! Stop!" Mike shouted again as Scruffy pulled even more until he finally slipped free. Mike couldn't catch him again and Mia and Antonio were too far to get to him in time. He raced out in the fight, choosing Dayu as his target. He snapped at her leg, keeping her distracted and away from Serena and Jayden.

"Fire Smasher!" Jayden shouted while knocking Dekker back, forcing him away from the fight and giving Jayden just enough time to turn on Dayu. Jayden swung at Dayu, careful not to hit Scruffy.

Serena was faring well enough against Serrator but she couldn't bring herself to call it quits and run back to safety. Serrator, Dayu, and Dekker had all pissed her off and she was ready for revenge. She struck Serrator across the chest, wounding him badly and giving her some time to breathe.

"Serena," Jayden called her name. He had wounded Dayu and Dekker enough to take them out of the fight and he had grabbed Scruffy. He was standing just outside the shield as he called her and tried to convince her to come back. Serena quickly turned to look at him and suddenly her sword was knocked from her hand and she felt her back hit something hard. In the blink of an eye she found herself on the ground.

"I love a tragedy," she heard Serrator say and she rolled over, trying to protect herself as much as possible from the inevitable fatal blow.

The fatal blow that never came. She heard a bark, a cry of pain and then felt something heavy and warm fall on top of her. Suddenly, the wind picked up, and Serena felt the heat of flames surround her. The wind would blow them away from her and towards Serrator. She heard him cry out in pain but refused to look up until she knew it was safe. After a few moments, the wind died down and the heat disappeared. The warm weight covering her was removed and someone touched her back.

"Are you okay?" Jayden asked and she looked up, nodding her head. She was fine. Jayden helped her up to her feet. Her eyes fell on James and she raced over to him, cupping his face in her hands.

"Serena?" he asked when he felt her touch. Serena nodded and removed the blindfold. He looked at her, blinking a bit to adjust to the light, "Don't you ever do that again."

"Did he hurt you?" Serena turned James around and started to work on the rope binding his hands. James shook his head.

"No one laid a hand on me," James felt the ropes loosen around his wrists and he pulled his hands free. He turned around, pulling Serena into his arms. He hugged her tight, but felt something cool and wet against her back. He pulled away, looking to his hands. They were covered in blood. His eyes widened in horror and he looked to Serena, but she seemed equally confused. She hadn't turned her back to Serrator until the final moment, but he never touched her. She turned around, looking to where she had fought Serrator. Mike, Mia, Jayden, and Antonio were all kneeling down, looking at something on the ground.

"Good boy," Serena heard Mike praise and her heart stopped. The bark, the whimper, the warm blanket that covered her… She pushed James away and raced over to the Samurai.

"Scruffy!" she knelt down between Mike and Mia. The dog had his head resting on Mike's lap. His breathing was shallow and he had a deep gash across his body from where Serrator had struck him instead of Serena. Mike was gently patting the dog, trying to keep him comfortable. Tears were streaming down his cheeks.

"Good boy, Scruffy," he repeated as Scruffy's breathing slowed to a stop. Mike clutched his fist, grabbing a handful of Scruffy's fur for a moment before letting go. He scooped the dog up in his arms and carried him back to the house. The other Samurai followed except for Serena. She stared at the pool of Scruffy's blood.

"What happened?" James' hand fell on her shoulder as he sat down beside her.

"He saved my life," Serena whispered. "Serrator would have killed me if…"

"Let's go inside. Get you cleaned up," James gently pulled Serena up to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her and he guided her home.

-Samurai-

When Emily woke up, before she opened her eyes, she didn't hear anything. Terran wasn't crying and the leaves on the trees weren't rustling in the wind. There was just a dead silence. She stirred slightly as her eyes finally fluttered open and she saw a ceiling.

"Gentle," a woman's voice told her she wasn't back at the Tengen Gate, "Careful."

Emily looked to the red head watching over her. She had no idea what was happening or what had happened. The woman seemed to notice the confusion on her face.

"We found you in the lake. Unless I'm mistaken, that was symbol power that you used."

Emily furrowed her brow. The woman chuckled.

"It's okay. I'm a ninja. I know. You're lucky Cam wanted to scatter his father's ashes in the sacred lake. I know it's got healing powers, but it's not that good. What were you thinking, using the last of your energy like that? You could have killed yourself and that baby!"

"Who are you?" Emily asked. She sat up in bed, despite the woman's protest, and climbed to her feet, "Where's my nephew?"

"Cam's looking after him downstairs. He says you've met before."

"CAM?" Emily shrieked. The woman nodded her head.

"He told me to tell you he's Sensei Watanabe, from the Wind Ninja Academy. He's finally decided this is where he wanted to scatter his father's ashes and he asked me to come with him."

"You left my nephew with Cam?" on wobbly feet, Emily raced out of the room and found the stairs. She ran down, nearly stumbling several times before reaching the first floor. She heard Terran's giggle and followed the sound into the kitchen. Cam was standing by the stove, warming up a bottle for Terran while tickling his stomach.

"Don't touch him," Emily growled, alerting Cam she was finally awake. He nodded his head and held out Terran for her to take. The woman who had been watching over Emily finally came downstairs.

"You said you were friends," she looked between the two Samurai, "She looks like she's going to kill you."

"She's got every right to hate me," Cam nodded. He sighed as he turned his attention back to Emily, "How's your sister?"

"Walking, no thanks to you," Emily snapped. She cuddled Terran, but her anger was upsetting him. The woman looked to Emily.

"Okay, I have no idea what happened between you two, but Cam saved your life just now. Yours and your nephew's. The least you can do is thank him."

"I need to get home," Emily shook her head.

"Not in your state," the woman grabbed Emily's arm and walked her over to the table. She pushed her into a seat, "I don't know how a Samurai winds up all the way in Japan with a baby, but I know there's no way I'm letting you go home in this condition. I'll make you something to ear and we'll get a better look at those nasty cuts."

"I need to get home," Emily repeated. The woman shook her head.

"Cam and I have a flight home in a couple of days. We'll take you then, after you've recovered a bit. For now you can stay with us."

"I promise, I won't paralyze you," Cam muttered. He handed Emily a warm bottle for Terran. Emily took the bottle and inspected it quickly before she gave it to Terran. The woman sat down beside Emily.

"Cam didn't tell me your name. I'm Leanne, from the Thunder Ninja Academy."

"Thunder Ninja?" Emily frowned. She had never heard of a Thunder Ninja before, but she was convinced Leanne was telling her the truth. After all, she would only know about the Ninjas and Samurai if she was one herself, and Cam was her friend. She sighed, "I'm Emily. This is Terran."

Leanne smiled and put her hand on Emily's leg, "We'll get you home as soon as possible, okay? But we can't take you to the airport looking like this. Want to tell us what exactly happened?"


	174. The Bad News

Guilt. All the Samurai were wracked with guilt.

Ji had been the one to let the dog out. It was an accident, but if he had been more careful while closing the door and if Scruffy had never gotten out of the house he wouldn't be dead.

Kevin kept wondering what if. What if he had been able to fight? He was sure Scruffy wouldn't have needed to take that hit for Serena, the hit that killed him.

Mia and Antonio hadn't grabbed him when he ran off. They saw Scruffy slip from Mike's hand but they hadn't done anything to stop him, believing themselves to be too far. But if they had tried, maybe they could have grabbed him.

Mike and Jayden had both let Scruffy slip right out of their hands. If they had held him tighter, he wouldn't have gotten away from them.

Serena felt the most guilt. She had taken on Serrator and had refused to run to safety before he knocked her down. Scruffy had sacrificed himself for her. She felt terrible for it. Scruffy was still just a puppy, only a little over a year old. He didn't deserve to have his life cut so short, not for Serena's mistake.

Because of her guilt, Serena insisted she be the one to clean Scruffy up. Very carefully, she stitched up his cut from Serrator's sword and cleaned off the blood from his fur. At best, she could make it look like he was sleeping, not dead.

"You've done enough for him," James whispered as he walked into the common room. He knelt down beside Serena and Scruffy and wrapped the dog up in a blanket. He never liked dogs, he was terrified of them, but Scruffy had grown on him. He had been kind, gentle, loyal (to a fault, it seemed) and he always knew how to make the Samurai laugh. He curled up with them when they were sick or upset, he played endlessly with all his toys, even the squeaky ones, which annoyed the hell out of everyone, but now they missed it. "Let him rest. We'll give him a proper funeral in the morning. It's the least he deserves."

Serena leaned into James, letting him hold her in her arms. She hadn't breathed a word to him unless it was about Scruffy.

Unfortunately, there was nothing James could do to cheer her up. He didn't feel like it was right to make her feel better because all he had for her was bad news. On top of everything that was already happening at the house, Serena needed to know how James had left things in Japan when Dekker kidnapped him. He kissed the top of Serena's head and sighed. What made this conversation even harder to start was that Serena seemed to be so distracted by Scruffy, she didn't even seem to notice her sister and Terran weren't home. She was so upset; she didn't care about the two most important people in her life.

"You're going to hate me," James whispered. Serena looked up at him, shaking her head.

"No. No, I don't hate you. It's not your fault Serrator…"

"Serena, aren't you forgetting something? Dekker kidnapped me."

"And you're okay. He didn't hurt you, right?"

"No, because I wasn't his original target. Do you remember who I was with?"

Rage flashed in Serena's eyes. She shoved James to the ground, where he fell on his back.

"What the hell happened in Japan?" Serena screamed loudly, drawing the others into the common room. Even Kevin had gotten himself out of bed after hearing Serena's scream.

"D-Dekker," James stammered. He had never stammered in front of Serena before, at least, not because he was afraid, "Dekker attacked us… Emily. He…"

"You son of a bitch!" Serena lunged for James but Jayden and Ji grabbed her before she could cause any harm. They held her arms, keeping her away from her fiancé. "This is exactly why I didn't want you going to Japan!"

"She might still be alive!" James said, hoping it could comfort Serena even just a little bit. "She wasn't… I mean, it only looked like…"

"My sister is alone somewhere in Japan fighting for her life?" Serena screamed. "Where the hell is my son, then?"

"With her?" James answered hesitantly and feared the worst when hate was the only expression on Serena's face. He braced himself for the worst beating of his life, but it never came. Instead he heard a loud wail and looked across the room just as Ji pulled Serena away to his room.

Mike punched the wall, leaving a hole in the drywall before he stormed out. Kevin followed him.

Mia, Antonio, and Jayden stayed with James. They took a seat on their stools and waited for James to get to his seat.

"What happened?" Jayden asked.

"Dekker was going to take Emily instead of me," James said. "If he had done that, the whole trip would have been for nothing. I had to keep them together."

"But Dekker roughed her up a bit before taking her, didn't he?" Antonio asked. "Emily wasn't ready to leave with him willingly?"

"She wasn't moving when I left her. Dekker smashed her around pretty hard, but I'm confident she's still alive. She's out there with Terran, I know it."

Mia touched the table, pulling up the map and setting the coordinates to cover Japan. The map was empty. There were no active symbols.

"That just means her Samuraizer is off or broken, right?" James asked.

"It takes a lot to break the Samuraizer," Jayden sighed.

James gulped. He remembered the final blow to the head Emily took, which forced her to power down. He saw her Samuraizer slip to the ground and it didn't look like right, kind of like how an arm of a leg doesn't look right when it's broken.

"If she's out there, she'll find a way to reach us," Antonio assured James. We just gotta wait."

"Any minute now," James said with a nod, trying to be confident, "a Samurai will ring, or the home phone will go off or… anything."

-Samurai-

"My father used this on the ninjas all the time," Cam said as he rubbed a strange cream into Emily's cuts that worked almost instant to numb some of the pain she felt. She couldn't believe how quickly it worked, but wasn't about to question it. Though Cam was the last person on earth she wanted to rely on for a safe trip home, she didn't have much choice and knew things could have been much worse.

"Where exactly are we?" she asked him.

"My grandfather lived here. After he passed away, dad never got around to selling the place. He always wanted to come back, but he never did."

"I'm sorry about your dad."

"I'm sorry about your sister."

"Serena's still alive, at least."

"You mentioned a friend, earlier," Leanne said as she walked into the room with three mugs of hot tea. She placed two on the table for Emily and Cam and held onto one for herself. She took a seat on the couch, beside Emily. Terran was already up in the guest bedroom, asleep in a makeshift crib Leanne had made for him.

Emily nodded her head, "My brother in-law. He was kidnapped by Dekker. But I can't do anything for him until I get back home. Jayden will know what to do. I just hope he's okay."

"Maybe Cam can have a look around the place you fought Dekker?" Leanne suggested and gave a look to Cam, asking if he would. "Maybe there were some clues left or…"

"Dekker only leaves clues when he wants you to find him," Emily shook her head and then remembered something important, "My Samuraizer!"

"What?" Leanne frowned. Cam just looked to Emily.

"You dropped it, didn't you?"

"It's not my fault I was smashed in the head," Emily pointed to the gash on her forehead, where the helmet had cut her when it cracked. "My Samuraizer's still in the forest. If I go home without it, everyone's going to kill me."

Cam got up and walked to the door. He grabbed his coat, "I'll go look for it. Do you remember where you fought Dekker?"

"A couple miles east of the lake," Emily didn't seem too sure about her answer. Her memory was a little fuzzy, "Just… look there and if you don't find it…"

"I'll find it," Cam promised her walked out of the house. Emily heard the car engine roar and he was off.

Emily then looked to Leanne, who pointed to her cup of tea.

"My father's recipe. Drink it. It'll help with the pain."

"Are you really going to take me home?"

"Cam will go scatter the ashes tomorrow. We'll see how you look the day after. We don't want to raise too many questions at the airport."

"Mentor Ji's friend is at the airport. If I can get in contact with him, he'll get us right onto the plane, no questions asked."

"Great…"

"One problem," Emily sighed, "His number was programmed into James' phone. I don't have it memorized. The only number I know is Serena's old number."

"Old?"

"She had it changed. If Cam doesn't find my Samuraizer, or if it's broken, I can't call home. I never thought to memorize anyone's numbers."

"Not many people do anymore," Leanne said. She put her hand on Emily's shoulder comfortingly, "It might be a while before your friends hear from you, but we're going to get you home. We'll do all we can to help, okay?"

"Serena's going to be freaking out," Emily looked down into her mug. "Mike's probably beating someone up."

"Cam said you were a friend," Leanne smiled, "but he's never mentioned you before today. Why don't you tell me a bit about your friends back home?"


	175. A Long Trip Home

The next couple of days in the Shiba House passed slowly. No one was in the mood to be happy after what happened to Scruffy, and their moods were only made worse by the fact that they still hadn't gotten word from Emily that she and Terran were okay.

Ji stuck closely to Serena, trying to keep her calm and trying to keep her mind busy. He always had something for her to do and was always around when she snapped. Everyone else in the house had learned to steer clear from her. One wrong move and they would find themselves in the ground. James, unfortunately, was one of the ones who stayed away from her. He knew Serena needed her time after everything, and he hoped it would all work out for her. Though he had been wrong about Emily calling the Shiba House a couple of days before, he still wanted to believe she was alive.

Just like how Ji stuck by Serena, Kevin and Mia were constantly by Mike's side. Mike had control over his anger since his sessions with Dr. Fletcher had started, but it seemed all that time was going to waste. Though Scruffy was Emily's dog on paper, he was just as much Mike's dog. After defeating the Nighlok for good, Mike had always imagined himself and Emily getting a place of their own and moving out with Scruffy – Scruffers, as Mike called him. Scruffy was a part of their little family. A big part of that little family. Mike still couldn't believe he was gone, despite Scruffy's death playing over and over again in his mind.

On top of all that, Mike had tried several times to reach Emily, but to no avail. He even contacted the Tengen Gate and according to them she had never come home. They had sent a few guardians out to look for her, but so far Mike hadn't heard anything.

No news was bad news.

"She was right about that stupid plane," Mike muttered as he sat on the front steps of the Shiba House. Mia and Kevin sat on either side of him. He knew they were basically babysitting him but he didn't care. He didn't want to be alone. "It's nothing but trouble."

Mia placed her head on Mike's shoulder and took his hand, forcing him to uncurl his fist. She had noticed that his anger usually started with him balling his hands into a fist. If she could stop that, he would calm himself down, at least, for a little while longer.

And it worked. Mike took a deep breath and then sighed, feeling a little calmer.

"She'll find her way back," Kevin promised his little brother, "Don't give up just yet."

-Samurai-

Just as Emily had been promised, Cam and Leanne were going to look into taking her back home. While Cam packed up a few toys for Terran for the flight, Leanne inspected some of Emily's more visible wounds, just to make sure they wouldn't draw too much attention. Though Emily didn't want to go back onto an airplane, especially after everything had gone wrong in Japan, she really wanted to get back home.

Cam had brought her Samuraizer home, but it had been broken in her fight with Dekker. He promised that, while on the plane, he would have a look at it, saying he was good with technology. Seeing the state her Samuraizer was in, Emily figured he couldn't do any worse and let him keep it for now. Unfortunately, its broken state meant she had no way of calling home. After her encounter with Frankie, and all the calls he had made to her before kidnapping her, Emily had gotten rid of her cell phone and all the numbers inside. She relied only on her Samuraizer to keep in touch with her friends, and was now finding that to be a mistake. The only number she had bothered memorizing was Serena's old number, but that was of no use now. Still, she was alive and she was on her way home with Terran. Whether it was now via phone call, or later when she actually walked into the house, her friends would know she and Terran were okay.

"Just tell them you went hiking and you tripped and we should get through, no questions asked," Leanne smiled. Emily breathed a sigh of relief, happy today was the day she would be going home. She threw her arms around Leanne in a hug, whispering a thank you in her ear. Despite her earlier reservations about Cam and his friend, she had been well taken care of by them. She had almost completely forgiven Cam and was no longer holding Leanne's friendship with Cam over Leanne's head. She saw the woman as her friend, someone she could trust.

"Here," Leanne reached into her suitcase and pulled out a few papers for Emily, "How good a liar are you?"

"Horrible," Emily said. She took the papers from Leanne, "What are these?"

"As far as airport personnel know, you're Terran's mother," Leanne said. "Getting him through without his parents might be a bitch."

"You're faking legal documents?"

"Are you a threat to society?"

"No, but you might be."

"I'm a ninja. Getting places without people asking too many questions about me is in the job description. Do you want to get your nephew home or not?"

"I thought he was my son," Emily smirked. Leanne ruffled her hair.

"Atta girl."

At that moment, Cam came down the stairs with Terran and a bag of the young boy's stuff. He handed Terran over to Emily and picked up the bags by the door.

"You ready to go home, kid?"

Emily nodded her head. She was more than ready to go home. If she had the strength, she would use her symbol power to teleport herself and Terran home.

-Samurai-

"What are you doing?" Antonio asked as he walked into the common room and saw Jayden was staring at the urn that contained Scruffy's ashes. They wanted to wait for Emily, but it had been a couple of days already and there was still no word from her. They decided to have Scruffy cremated, that way Emily could still decide what would happen to her beloved dog, without Scruffy stinking up the house.

"I'm just… hoping Scruffy's the first and the last," Jayden whispered. Scruffy's sacrifice had shaken him up in a way he never imagined. Scruffy had ultimately traded his life for Serena, protecting her from harm. That was exactly what his team did for him on a daily basis. Luckily, so far, none of them had been killed doing it.

What bothered Jayden, though, was that Scruffy died under no false impressions. Serena hadn't lied to him; she hadn't been fake around him. The relationship she had formed with the dog was real and it was genuine. Scruffy had sacrificed himself for a friend. It made the pain no less bearable, but it was still a little bit of light, though very dim. But if Serena felt as badly as she did under those circumstances, Jayden couldn't begin to imagine how he would feel if one of the Samurai died to protect him. He couldn't imagine the pain they would all go through when they found out the sacrifice was in the vain.

"It's okay to be upset," Antonio took a seat beside his boyfriend and hugged him. "Scruffy was family. He was like… our mascot… that no one knew about."

Jayden shrugged his shoulders. He knew Antonio was trying to help, and he appreciated the effort, but it wasn't working in the slightest.

"You know the funny part," Antonio said and Jayden gave him a look. Antonio shook his head, "I don't mean funny ha-ha. I just mean funny like… well, funny like weird. Mike bought Scruffy for Emily when we thought Serena was dead. In a way, he bought Scruffy to replace her, right? Well, now he's really done his job. He's taken her place."

Jayden touched the urn, "Is it wrong of me to think at least it was just a dog and not one of us?"

"I don't know," Antonio said, "but in a way, no. Scruffy doesn't have the power to stop the Nighlok."

"Or does he?" Jayden asked. "He took that hit for Serena, but maybe he saved us all. Imagine what would have happened if we lost Serena. If Serrator had gotten what he wanted? Imagine the power that would have given him. Scruffy's death is a loss, but he may have just saved the world."

"Underdog," Antonio chuckled. "No one will know."

"We know."

"Yeah. I guess we do," Antonio leaned forward and kissed the urn, "He was a good dog."

"A good dog who won't die in vain," Jayden looked to the urn, promising that to Scruffy's remains, "We'll make you proud, Scruffs. By the time we're done, the Earth is going to be exactly how you always thought it was."

-Samurai-

Emily got through the airport without any problems. She didn't bump into Ji's friend, but now that she was on the plane, all she needed to do was relax and enjoy the flight.

Fat chance of that happening.

"You don't like flying, do you?" Cam asked, looking over from his seat. As he worked on her Samuraizer, he could see her trembling in the corner of his eye. He knew she was an earth Samurai and figured that was where she wanted to stay: on Earth.

Emily shook her head, "No. And I've heard all the safety speeches. Nothing helps."

"Have you tried meditation?"

"I've never been good with meditation."

Cam nudged Leanne, who was already working on trying to sleep through the flight. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She saw he was pointing to Emily.

"I need to work on the Samuraizer. You take care of her. She says she's no good at meditation and she's scared of flying."

"No good at…" Leanne switched over to Terran's seat, taking the boy on her lap, "Alright, we're getting you home without a mental breakdown. For starters, close your eyes and listen up."

"Are you sure…?"

"Have I steered you wrong yet?"

Emily shook her head and did as she was told.

-Samurai-

Serena stared at her Samuraizer, willing for it to ring, for her sister to call, for everything to be okay, but nothing was okay. Scruffy was dead, Emily and Terran were missing in another country, possibly dead, and she couldn't bring herself to look at James without everything bubbling to the surface. She didn't want to blame him, but she couldn't help herself. If he hadn't of taken Emily and Terran in Japan, they wouldn't still be in Japan. James wouldn't have been kidnapped and used as bait, so Scruffy would still be alive. His plan to save Terran had seemed worth it before everything went to hell, now she wasn't sure. If Terran was going to die anyway, there was no sense taking everyone down with him.

Ji never left her side, which both bothered and comforted her. She knew she always had someone to lean on, but she wanted to be alone.

"Serena…"

"Shut up!" she screamed at him. All she did now was scream at him, like this was all his fault. Ji never said anything about it. He just accepted it as her way of grieving over everything. He couldn't tell her not to be angry, sad, upset, or even scared. He wished he answers for her. He wished he had a way of making this right, but he didn't. All he could do was make sure Serena didn't do something she would regret.

A knock on the door pulled Ji to his feet. He let Mike inside, but saw from the green Ranger's face that this wasn't a happy visit for Serena. Mia and Kevin were right behind Mike. They too didn't look happy.

"Serena," Mike called to his sister in-law, who responded by launching a pillow at his face. Ji knew Mike should consider himself lucky. Serena had thrown a lot worse over the last couple of days, "You know I've been trying to call Emily, and I've been calling then Tengen Gate, right?"

"Get out!" Serena jumped from her bed and lunged at Mike. Ji stepped between the two of them, grabbing Serena and holding her in his arms.

"The guardians went out to look for her but… they haven't found anything. There's no sign of her or Terran anywhere."

"That could be a good thing," Mia said, "That means Emily got away after Dekker attacked. She and Terran might still be…"

"Shut up!" Serena screamed, "Everyone, shut up!"

"Serena…"

"SHUT UP! It's not a good thing! My sister and my son are alone and injured in another country!" her screaming drew James in, who wanted to know what was going on. Serena was angry with him, but he still cared about her. He still wanted to do all he could to make sure she was okay. Serena saw him and pointed at him, "A country you took them too! You said everything would be okay!"

"Mike," Kevin whispered when he saw the green Ranger tearing up again. Mia believed Emily and Terran's disappearance was good news, but Mike had taken it as a bad sign. Kevin pulled Mike out of the room as the screaming match continued between Serena and everyone else (by now even Antonio and Jayden had stopped by to see what was going on).

Kevin pulled Mike into a tight hug, "Don't you dare give up on her."

"It's bad news, no matter how you look at it!" Mike growled, "Either Emily and Terran are dead, or they'll come back here and… and…"

"Scruffy…" Kevin sighed.

Mike broke down, falling to his knees in front of Kevin. The blue Ranger wouldn't leave Mike alone. He dropped to his knees as well and hugged him again.

-Samurai-

It felt like centuries before Emily got off the plane, but it eventually happened and as soon as the doors were opened she grabbed Terran and ran out as fast she could, leaving Leanne and Cam to take all the bags. They met up again inside the airport and after a little more waiting; they made it outside. Leanne lifted her arm, waving to an older man. He spotted them and started making his way over.

"My father's picking us up," Leanne said to Emily, "He'll drive you and Terran back home."

Sensei Omino hugged Leanne when he arrived, and pulled Cam into a hug as well. He had been good friends with Kanoi and when he heard of his death, he had promised himself he would do all he could to help Cam. He had been the one who had arranged to Cam and Leanne to head to Japan so Cam could scatter his father's ashes somewhere special.

"And who is this?" he asked when he noticed Emily and Terran.

"A lost Samurai and her nephew," Leanne explained. She looked to Emily, "This is my father, Sensei Omino. Father, this is Emily and Terran. Cam and I promised we would take her home."

"Then that is exactly what we will do," Sensei Omino nodded his head and pointed to the car, "There is plenty of room, and we should be at the Shiba House in no time."

"The Shiba House?" Emily asked. "How do you know that's where…?"

"Ji is a good friend of mine," Sensei Omino chuckled, "He and I go way back."

"Of course you do," Emily said. She climbed into Sensei Omino's car and traced a symbol to summon a car seat for Terran. His old one was still at the Tengen Gate and she hadn't thought of going there to grab it. She just wanted to get home. Once she had him strapped in, she sat down, buckled herself up, and within moments she was asleep.

"It's a good thing you know where you're going, Sensei," Cam chuckled as he gestured to the back seat, "She's going to be of no help."

"I'm sure it's a well-deserved rest," Sensei Omino nodded. As he started the car he looked to Cam, "How are you?"

"Better," Cam smiled, "now that I know my father's in a better place."

"It'll take time, but everyday his loss will seem a little easier. If you do find yourself feeling overwhelmed…"

"I know, Sensei. Thank you."

-Samurai-

The drive was a long one, but Sensei Omino finally stopped the car just outside the Shiba House gates. He and Cam stepped out and grabbed Emily and Terran's bag from the trunk, while Leanne gently woke Emily up.

"We're here," she whispered. Emily rubbed her eyes and looked out the window. She couldn't believe it. She was finally home. She unstrapped Terran from his car seat and raced to the gates. She stopped just short of opening the door and looked up. The protective symbols around the house were as charged as she had ever seen them and she wasn't sure if she had successfully healed Terran or not. This was the moment of truth. She hugged her nephew close, closed her eyes, opened the gate and walked right through.

"That was weird," Leanne muttered to Cam. He nodded his head and watched as Emily kissed her nephew and practically bounced all the way to the door. She searched through her pockets before remembering she didn't have her keys. There was no sense bringing them to Japan.

It was late, but she rang the doorbell until she heard someone's footsteps inside the house.

"It's eleven at night!" Ji shouted but was instantly silenced when he saw who had woken him up. He threw his arms around Emily and Terran, "You're home!"

"Mentor… I… can't… breathe…"

Ji loosened his grip around Emily and had another look at her. He hadn't spent much time wondering what had happened to her, but he was so happy to see she was safe. He spotted three people walking down his path and assumed they were the ones who had brought her home. His face lightened up even more (if it was possible) when he recognised Sensei Omino.

"Akio…"

"Ji, it's been a while," Sensei Omino shook Ji's hand. Ji hugged Emily with one arm as he looked to his friend.

"Thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I drove," Sensei Omino smiled. He pointed to Leanne and Cam, "They were the ones who brought her home."

"Thank you," Ji bowed slightly, "If there's anything I can do for you…"

"Don't lose another Samurai in Japan," Leanne smiled. She looked to Emily, "You take care of Terran, okay?"

Emily nodded. She put Terran in Ji's arms while she hugged Leanne and thanked her for everything. She then moved to Cam and hesitated for a moment. Finally, she opened her arms.

"Friends?"

"Yeah."

Ji thanked the ninja trio once more before letting them go. He pulled Emily back into his arms, hugging her tight.

"Mentor… I still… can't… breathe."


	176. Not A Very Happy Homecoming

After Mentor's Ji big welcome home greet at the door, Emily was sure she was in for a big night. She decided to make it as easy for herself as possible. Instead of assembling everyone into the common room at once, she would go to their rooms, let them know she was home with Terran, let them know she was safe, and the hopefully move on to the next room without suffocating under a pile of happy Samurai

She started with Jayden and Antonio, knowing she would spend the least amount of time with them. Handing Terran over to Ji, she raced over to the boys' bed and jumped, startling them out of their sleep.

"I'm sorry I don't have souvenirs, but… oof!" she was knocked to the floor by a tackle-hug from Antonio. She suffocated for a few seconds as he hugged her tightly. Then he let her go and hurried over to Terran, so relieved to see his little nephew alive.

"What happened to you?" Jayden asked as he wrapped his arms around Emily.

"Dekker showed up. He wanted me, but James went with him instead."

"Yeah, we heard," Jayden nodded, "James is here with us, safe and sound. What I meant to ask was how did you get back?"

"Mentor's not the only one with friends," Emily smiled. "You remember Cam from the Ninja Academy, right? He was in Japan scattering his father's ashes. I'll explain the whole story to you when everyone's together, but he and his friend Leanne brought me home."

"We owe them big," Antonio said. He passed Terran over to Jayden, letting the fire Samurai greet their nephew while he hugged Emily again, "Why didn't you call? We were all starting to think you had… you know…"

Emily pulled her Samuraizer from her pocket. Cam had gotten the pieces back together and had repaired most of the physical damage, but the Samuraizer still wasn't in working order yet. Antonio immediately yanked it form her hand.

"I'll have it working like new in no time," he promised her.

"Thanks, Antonio," Emily said while taking Terran back in her arms, "Do you guys mind if I go wake the others up, now?"

"Go for it," Jayden nodded, "Antonio and I will get started on some tea. We'll meet you in the common room?"

"Deal," Emily smiled. She bounced back to Ji, put Terran in his arms, and raced down the hallway to Mia and Kevin's room.

"No jumping on their bed. Kevin's got a few more days left with the stitches," Ji warned her with a chuckle.

"I'll wake Kevin up first and then jump on Mia," Emily said. Just like with Jayden and Antonio, she quietly opened the door and snuck in. Ji couldn't help but smile, but he also felt a pang of guilt. She was lighting up the house like a Christmas tree with her and Terran's return, but he knew sooner or later that smile would drop right off her face. He didn't want to spoil her return home just yet, but she was bound to notice before morning.

Emily walked over to Kevin's side of the bed and gently shook him away. He grumbled, muttering to Mia about how he was technically on vacation and he wanted to sleep. Emily whispered in his ear, he recognized her voice and shot out of bed, grabbing her in his arms.

"Strong…" Emily pushed against Kevin's chest, "huggers… in this… house."

"What are you doing home?" Kevin quickly spat out in his excitement, "How did you get home? Don't ever leave home again!"

Emily finally freed herself from Kevin's arms. "I'll explain all that later. Get off the bed. I wanna jump on Mia."

Kevin chuckled and pulled himself out of bed. While Emily bounced on the bed to wake up Mia, Kevin took Terran into his arms and cuddled his nephew.

"How did he get through the shields?" Kevin asked Ji about Terran. Ji shrugged, but there was a small smile on his face.

"I guess Emily somehow figured it out."

"Mia!" Emily cried, shaking her best friend, "Wake up! Don't you love me anymore?"

Emily was smacked by a pillow and knocked right off the bed.

"You idiot," Mia sat up in bed and looked down at Emily rubbing the side of her head, "Of course I love you."

"Why are all the guys hugging me, and you hit me?"

"Because you scared me half-to-death, Monster," Mia slipped off the bed and pulled her best friend into her arms, "You little idiot. How the hell did you get home?"

"I'll explain later," Emily repeated for the third time. "I'll explain everything later. But I still have some people to see."

Mia knew who Emily meant and she let go of her little sister after giving her a kiss on the cheek and another squeeze.

"Go, squirt."

Emily smiled and bounced up to her feet. She left Terran with Mia, Kevin, and Ji. They would know where to take him next. She didn't need him for her next stop.

"Mike!" she bolted into her room, nearly breaking down the door as she jumped into her own bed, where Mike laid on his own. She tore the blankets off, which she knew he hated, but it always woke him up.

"Em, it's almost… holy shit," Mike sat up and pulled Emily into his arms. He couldn't believe she was home. He was positive this was a dream he didn't want to wake up from. Emily took the welcome a step further, pressing her lips to his.

-Samurai-

Serena couldn't remember going to bed. She was sure Ji had put something in her tea, like he had done every night since Scruffy's sacrifice, but she didn't care. At this point, she just wanted to be alone in the dark.

"Turn off the lights…"

"Kind of hard to see Terran in the dark," Mia said.

"That's not..." Serena threw the blankets off and sat up in bed. If Mia wasn't going to turn the lights off, she would do it (and Mia would learn her lesson about waking Serena up at the same time). But when Serena turned to the door, she saw Mia wasn't kidding, "funny…"

Serena's chin quivered. The rest of her body froze. She was dreaming. She had to be. Her son was with her sister in another country across the ocean. There was no way he could get home. He shouldn't be home. So many emotions overwhelmed her: joy, fear, anger, relief, guilt… the list went on. Mia could tell Serena was having a hard time, so she carried Terran over to the bed.

"Look, Terran," Mia cooed to the little boy. By now he was wide awake and seeing his mother again had brought a bright smile to his face; the kind of smile he reserved only for her. Mia held him out for Serena, "Look, it's mommy."

Serena took her son, held him close and cried. It was all she could bring herself to do at this point.

"We'll be in the common room," Mia whispered to Serena. She assumed the mother could use a little time with her son.

Mia made her way to the common room, arriving at the same time as James.

"They're home?" James asked, looking to the boys. Over the last couple of nights he had been sleeping in the dojo. Serena wasn't happy with him and he thought it best to keep his distance until she calmed down. Ji had just come to wake him up, sharing the news that Emily and Terran were home. Mia nodded her head.

"Emy's with Mike, Terran's with Serena. I wouldn't bother them right now."

James grabbed his head in his hands and sighed in relief as he fell onto his stool. He hadn't stopped saying they were alive and they would come back home, but he had been starting to lose faith. He was so happy he was right. Jayden gave him a comforting pat on the back and handed him a cup of tea. James took it and the Samurai saw the mug was shaking in his hand. It was understandable. At this point, Emily and Terran were as much a part of his family as Serena was.

Suddenly, he was punched (and hard) in the arm.

"You idiot!" he looked up and saw it was Emily beating him up and screaming at him. "What were you thinking, going off with Dekker like that? You could have been killed! Terran and I could have been killed!"

James stood up and opened his arms. Emily jumped up and threw hers around his neck, hugging him tight. She knew the sacrifice he had made and she knew it was brave. Aside from the fact that she and Terran had nearly drowned in the lake he wanted them to reach, he had saved both their lives, and though her first goal had been getting home, ultimately she wanted to find James and make sure he was okay. As luck would have it, James and home turned out to be in the same place.

"Next time, leave the heroic stuff to the heroes," Emily said as she released him, putting her feet back on the ground.

"Promise," James nodded his head.

"So?" Antonio asked, looking to Emily, "How did you get home?"

Emily grabbed a seat and curled up with Mike as she explained the story, starting from what happened after James left with Dekker. She told them how she got to the lake and used the symbol on Terran just before blacking out. She told them how Cam and Leanne were luckily right by the lake and pulled her and Terran out of the water in time. She explained how they took her to Cam's grandfather's house and let her stay until her cuts were healed enough to get through airport security. She talked about the plane ride home, meeting up with Sensei Omino, and then waking everyone up to tell them she was finally home.

"Sounds like an adventure," Jayden said.

Emily shook her head, "Adventure makes it sound fun. It was an experience. An experience I would rather not repeat. Thanks a lot, James."

"Did it work, at least?" James asked her. "Healing Terran, I mean. Is he…?"

"The shield was supercharged, right?" Emily looked to Jayden, "Because Terran was gone, you had it supercharged?"

"Yeah."

"We walked right through," Emily smiled. "I… I think it worked."

"It must have," Mike breathed. Kevin leaned over, tapping the map. If Terran was in the house, which he was, the Gap Sensor should have gone off. It should have alerted the entire house of a Nighlok attack. But it was silent as ever, and it was working better than ever.

"No sign of any Nighlok in the area," Kevin nodded. "It worked. Terran's…"

"Human," James whispered. He couldn't believe it. His hunch was real. Terran was a full-blooded human, no longer cursed to live as a Nighlok.

"We can celebrate that a little later," Antonio pointed to the doorway, where Serena was standing with Terran hugged to her chest and her eyes fixed on Emily.

"Oh my god," James mumbled, seeing his son was truly home. He got up and Serena passed Terran over without taking her eyes off Emily.

Emily saw the tears in her sister's eyes and chuckled. She unravelled herself from Mike's arms and stood up, a big smile on her face.

"Relax, we're both fine."

"You're never crossing any borders without me," Serena whispered. She pulled her sister into her arms, "Understood?"

"I won't… make it through… the night… if… everyone keeps… choking me…"

Serena released her grip and grabbed her sister's arms, pushing her away slightly so she could look her in the eye. Emily smiled up at Serena.

"I'm okay. Don't cry," Emily wiped her sister's tears with her thumb.

"Why the hell didn't you call?"

"I'm bad with numbers and Dekker broke my Samuraizer," Emily pointed over her shoulder to Antonio, who held up the broken Samuraizer as proof. "I came home as soon as possible, though. And I took care of Terran. I even healed him! James was right! The heal symbol and the water from the lake…"

Serena shook her head and pulled her sister back into her arms. Emily returned the hug.

"Serena, everything's okay now. I promise, we're okay. Stop crying or I'm going to start crying, and then everyone's going to start crying and it'll be all your fault."

"I will get out the mats," Ji announced with a smile, "Something tells me we're having another camp-out in the living room."

As Ji walked to the closet in the hall, he wasn't paying attention to where he was stepping. Though Scruffy was gone, the Rangers hadn't taken the time to get rid of his toys. Ji stepped on one on the floor, causing it to squeak loudly. He regretted it the moment it happened.

Emily pulled away from her sister after hearing that sound and she realized she had one more wake up call to make.

"Scruffy!" she called the dog over but he didn't come. Emily knew she had heard the squeak of his toy, his favourite toy. She moved away from her sister and stepped into the hall. Ji kicked the toy to the side, out of sight, and tried to catch Emily's eye.

"Emily…"

It was as though she hadn't heard him. Emily walked right by, calling Scruffy's name once more. She walked to the laundry room, where she thought he may have gone to curl up for the night, but she didn't find him there. She already knew he wasn't in the bedrooms, but she decided to try again anyways, calling his name again. She tried her room, Mia and Kevin's room, Jayden and Antonio's, Ji's, Serena's. Her dog was still nowhere to be found.

She walked to the dojo.

She checked the kitchen.

She tried the study.

She searched every corner of the hallways.

She opened the front door and tried to call him, thinking he had gotten out to pee.

Finally, she walked back to the common room, "Where's Scruffy?"

"Something happened, Em," Mike told her. He looked around the room and decided he was the best person to break the news.

"Did he get out?" Emily asked and turned for the door, "He wouldn't have gone far. We can find him…"

Mike caught her arm, pulling her back in, "Emily, Scruffy's not coming back. He's gone."

"No, he'll come back," Emily insisted, "and he'll be home a lot sooner if we go out there and find him."

"Emily…"

"Let me go!"

"He's gone, Emily."

"He's dead," Mia blurted out. She pushed back her tears. Mike trying to break the news gently was only delaying Emily's pain, and it wasn't doing anyone any good. She knew he wanted to be gentle, but one way or another, Emily was going to be crushed. Mia decided not to beat around the bush. Emily needed to know the truth. She needed to hear it. "While you were gone, Dayu stood outside the house in a siege. That's why Dekker kidnapped James, so he, Serrator, and Dayu could draw us out and kill Serena. Serrator almost got what he wanted, but Scruffy jumped in the way, took the hit that was meant to kill Serena. He didn't make it. He died."

Dead silence filled the room.


	177. A Bad Reaction

The room was silent for what felt like an eternity. No one moved, no one dared speak, unsure what they were worried about if they were to talk, but knowing they had a reason to worry. But after so long in the silence, Serena couldn't handle it anymore. She reached out, taking her sister's hands. As soon as she touched her sister, though, Emily fell completely limp. Serena reached out, catching her and slowly lowering her to the ground.

"Emily!" she called and gently touched her sister's face.

"She's been through a lot," James said as he walked to the kitchen. He came back with a glass of water just as Emily started to stir again. James gave the water to Serena, who helped Emily to sit up slowly and then offered her the water. Emily took it and tossed the glass across the room. It hit the wall and shattered, sending water and glass flying everywhere.

"Emily…"

Emily pushed Serena away and got to her feet. She was a little shaky, but she made it down the hall without help from her friends. She closed her bedroom door, slamming it loudly. Mike raced over to the door and tried to open it, but it was locked.

"Emily…"

He didn't get any response except for the sound of something smashing into the wall. Mike figured he would be hearing that sound for a while. Scruffy had been important to Emily, and still was. In the last year, Scruffy had been a huge part of her life. Nearly every night, unless he was helping Serena, he had slept in her room, if not on her bed. Emily took him for walks every morning, and sometimes in the evenings. When it was nice out, she would take him outside in the yard, or to the park. She could be gone with him for hours and not realize it until the sun started to set or was completely gone from the sky.

Though she had the whole house protecting her and keeping her feeling safe and secure, Emily always felt a little better when she pulled her dog into her arms. When she first got Scruffy, she always reached out to him, pulling him in and hugging him. After a few months, Scruffy learned how to tell when Emily was sad and he always came to her. He would jump on her lap, nestle himself into her arms. Some nights, Emily would have nightmares, and Mike wouldn't know about them until the next morning, when he saw Scruffy curled up in her arms and under the blankets.

That was exactly where Scruffy had grown up: in Emily's arms. Though he had gotten big quickly, that never stopped Emily from taking him and holding him tight. Suddenly, that was ripped away from her, and from the entire house. Though not everyone had been excited at the idea of adopting a dog, they had all done it, and they had all shed a tear when he died.

The others joined him outside Emily's door, with James arriving a few minutes later after putting Terran to bed. Kevin tried to open it, but like Mike, he found it was locked. The sound of all of Mike's and Emily's things smashing against the wall was all anyone heard for the next few hours until finally, there was nothing but silence. This time, Serena tried the door. It was still locked, unsurprisingly, but after a few tries to pick it, she got it to open. She walked into her sister's room, with the rest of the Samurai behind her.

Emily was still sobbing as she laid in Scruffy's dog bed, curled up into a tight little ball. Serena tried to lift her up, but Emily's sobs grew louder. Instead, Serena lied down with her sister, taking what little room was left in the bed. She pulled her sister into her arms and hugged her close.

"I'm so sorry," Serena whispered, "He didn't deserve this."

Mike sat down beside the two sisters. There was no more room on Scruffy's bed so he settled on sitting next to the bed.

Mia clenched her fists and then suddenly walked out of the room and towards the front door. Kevin quickly followed her, as did Antonio and Jayden.

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked. Mia tried to open the door but Kevin slammed it shut before she could leave. He looked at her, "Nothing stupid, remember?"

"They murdered Scruffy!" Mia shrieked. She pointed to the bedroom door, "Look at what they did, Kevin! I'm tired of just sitting here and waiting for them to mess things up for us! I'm tired of…"

"Mia…"

"We're letting it happen!" Mia yelled. "We just sit here, waiting for them to come to us, and then we wonder why they always get the jump on us! Why can't we take the fight to them? Why can't we attack them first?"

"Because they hide in the Netherworld," Jayden reminded Mia. "We can't go there."

"Screw that! I'm tired of all this!"

"I hate this too, Mia," Kevin pulled her into his arms, "But you know we have to…"

"Next time, it won't be the dog, Kevin!"

"You heard Emily. Terran's healed, so as long as we're in the house, the Nighlok can't get us. Not even Dekker or Dayu because we can keep the shields up…"

"People outside are still dying! We can't save them all, Kevin. We're alive, what about everyone out there? Spike and his uncle? Amanda and her family? Our own families? They aren't protected like we are!"

"Mia…" Kevin wanted to comfort his fiancée, but the sound of glass breaking caught his ears. He glanced down the hall. It didn't take a genius to know which room the sound had come from.

"Michael!" Ji's voice shouted as Mike stormed out of the bedroom and down the hall.

"Screw you, Ji," Mike made a quick stop in the common room and stuffed his video games in the bag he was carrying. He started for the front door again, stopping only once on his way to grab one of Scruffy's chew toys. Then, without a word, he pushed his way past the Rangers and stormed out of the house. Emily's screams from the bedroom grew louder after the door slammed. Ji seemed furious as he walked back into the bedroom. Antonio and Jayden exchanged looks before running off in different directions. Antonio ran to Emily's room and Jayden left the house after Mike. Kevin gently pushed Mia away.

"I know you're scared, Mia," he told her, "but…"

Mia nodded her head. She knew what he was going to say. She dried her eyes and took a deep breath. Since coming to the Shiba House she had learned that it was okay for her to put her own needs first from time to time, but this wasn't one of those times. The house needed the old Mia back: the Mia who would do anything to see her friends smiling, no matter the cost to herself.

Kevin smiled and gave her a kiss, "You and I will talk again once things calm down a bit, okay."

"You go after Mike," Mia said. "I'll take Emily."


	178. Mike's Grief

Jayden and Kevin raced after Mike. They had no idea where he was going or why he had decided to leave, but they had seen him take his game station and his games and they knew that meant he didn't plan on coming back any time soon.

"Mike!" Kevin cried when Mike came into view. He hoped the green Ranger would hear him and stop or at least slow down. Kevin made it a few more steps before he felt something tear in his stomach. He doubled over, and fell to his knees. When Jayden realized Kevin wasn't following anymore, he stopped and turned back. He knelt down beside Kevin and lifted his shirt.

"Idiot," he mumbled, "You pulled the stitches."

"I'll get myself home," Kevin muttered through clenched teeth. "Go after Mike."

Jayden shook his head. Kevin wasn't bleeding too badly, but he didn't want to leave his injured friend alone after everything that had happened recently. If Serrator and his half-Nighlok followers were nearby, Kevin would be a sitting duck.

"Mike!" Jayden shouted, hoping the green Ranger would hear him, "Kevin's hurt!"

Jayden wrapped Kevin's arm around his shoulder and lifted him up, "Hopefully Mike's not too focused on himself to ignore that."

"And if he is?" Kevin asked.

"I'll call him while Ji's fixing you up," Jayden promised. "Antonio and I will head out to look for him. He promised Emily he would never leave. Surely he won't be too far for too long."

"Find him while he still has a choice in the matter," Kevin said.

-Samurai-

The waterworks weren't letting up. By now, if Emily were a Nighlok, she would have dried up and shrivelled up into a little raisin.

At the Shiba House, it seemed everything that could go wrong did. Nothing could calm Emily down for more than a few seconds.

James watched everything from a chair. His duty was to listen for Terran and take care of his son while everyone else focused on Emily, therefore, he had decided to step back from the drama with Scruffy and observe.

Ji was cleaning up the room. Emily had thrown and broken nearly everything in sight. Ji made three piles in the corner of the room: things that had survived a shot to the wall, things that were broken but fixable, and things that needed to go into the garbage. He focused so much on cleaning the room and putting it back in order, James noticed he began to tune out all the noise in the room. His eyes were filled with tears, but he was pushing them back and keeping his mind on his work.

Antonio had first tried to make Emily feel better by taking her mind off Scruffy, but it seemed everything he said reminded Emily of the dog. He had since given up on cheering her up and had turned himself into her punching bag. He was the only one he would let her hit, though. Mia still had her burns, which made any kind of contact with her skin more painful than, and Serena was already beating herself up. Ji and James were too far for Emily to reach, so Antonio didn't have to worry about them.

Mia was talking to Emily, reminding her that right up until his death; Scruffy had lived a good life. He had been loved and well cared for by everyone and he couldn't have asked for more. Sometimes that worked to calm Emily down for a moment. Other times Emily just screamed that Scruffy could have asked for a longer life. After a while of back and forth, Mia decided she needed to stop focusing on Scruffy and so she started talking to Emily about Emily. Through all the screaming, Emily hadn't once told the others how she was feeling. Mia worked on that and refused to give up. She would break through to Emily eventually, even if it took all night.

James focused his attention on Serena. He knew just how badly she felt. Serrator wanted her. Serrator had gone after her. Because of her mistake with Dekker, Terran had been born part-Nighlok. If Terran wanted to survive beyond sealing the Netherworld away, the Rangers needed a way to remove the Nighlok curse. Therefore, in Serena's mind, the connection had been made between her and the need for James, Emily, and Terran to go to Japan and marking themselves as open targets for abduction and use as bait. That made it Serena's fault that James was kidnapped, Serena's fault that he had been used for bait, Serena's fault the Rangers had to step out beyond the shields, Serena's fault Scruffy had attacked Dekker, Dayu, and Serrator, Serena's fault Serrator had taken Scruffy's life instead of hers, and Serena's fault Emily was hurt by Scruffy's sacrifice.

The one thing James truly despised about Serena was that she blamed herself for everything that went wrong in Emily's life. No matter what happened, whether she was present or not at the time, Serena always found a way to turn the blame around on herself. She tore herself down, beat herself up until someone convinced her she needed to bounce back for Emily's sake. In a way, she made everything seem worse than it was and she made the recovery period a lot harder for the entire house.

"I'm sorry, Emy," Serena repeated _again_ to her sister. James stood up.

"Serena," he waved her over with his index finger. Serena shook her head. She wouldn't leave her sister's side. James insisted.

"We've got her," Mia promised, pulling Emily into her own arms and letting Serena get up. The white Ranger followed James out into the hallway. He led her away from Emily's door and gave her a disappointed look.

"Obviously Scruffy's very important to her…"

"Obviously," Serena scoffed. She wiped her tears from her eyes, "James…"

"Stop apologizing to her, Serena! You're stronger than that! You know better than that. You're her big sister, for god's sake! Toughen up!"

"James, it's my fault…"

"You told Mike to protect Scruffy. You didn't do anything to put him in danger! Scruffy made a decision…"

"He didn't know what he was doing. Do you think he had any idea…?"

"He knows when he's in danger. He knows when his friends are in danger. He made that sacrifice to keep you and Emily together and you're doing nothing to honour that. You upset her every time every time you apologize. It's got to stop."

"James…"

"Don't argue this, Serena," James shook his head, "You apologizing makes it seem like you wish Serrator had killed you instead of the dog."

"Scruffy…" Serena growled. James ignored her.

"Is that really what you think your sister wants? Her dog over you?"

Serena looked down at the floor. James pulled her in for a hug.

"I know it's hard, Serena, and I know it hurts, but you've been given another chance and you need to take it. Stop putting yourself down. Stop blaming yourself for everything. You know where you sister would be without you?"

"Where?"

"Back on your farm, still being teased endlessly by those stupid kids. Probably still being teased by that Abby girl. She wouldn't be a Samurai; she wouldn't have these friends, this family. She wouldn't have met Mike. She wouldn't be the kid strong enough to survive an attack from Dekker, take her nephew all the way to the lake, heal him, and bring him all the way back home. From Japan!"

"Okay," Serena nodded her head. She gave James a little squeeze before letting him go and heading back to her sister's room. This was one of the reasons she loved him. He could always bring her back. He knew what was best for her and never let her bring herself down.

James breathed a sigh of relief as he watched her go, hoping this would be the start of a turn around. Unfortunately, at that moment, the front door swung open and Kevin and Jayden walked inside. Jayden was helping Kevin to walk, and following Kevin's orders, he set the blue Ranger down on the floor, shouted for Antonio, and raced off.

James hurried over to Kevin, "What happened?"

"Mentor wasn't kidding when he said too much exercise would make me pull the stitches," Kevin lifted his shirt, showing the tear. Over the last few days the scar had healed enough so the tear wouldn't cause Kevin to bleed out, but if he wanted to avoid any more damage, the stitches were going to need to be looked at.

"Murphy's law," James groaned. Antonio raced by, hearing Jayden's call. James pointed outside, Kevin quickly explained Jayden needed his help finding Mike, and Antonio was off. James walked to the bedroom and stopped Ji's clean up so he could have a look at Kevin. As the two men worked on the blue Ranger, Kevin looked down the hall.

"Things don't sound much better in here."

James nodded his head, "Is there any chance I can be a Ranger? After today, I wanna be the one to murder Serrator."

"Join the club," Kevin muttered. He looked out the window, "The sun's still not even up."

"It's going to be a loong day."

-Samurai-

Mike could be the biggest idiot in the world sometimes, but he wasn't stupid enough to turn off his Samuraizer. Jayden and Antonio managed to track his signal down into a neighbourhood on the edge of the city limits and were now on their own for finding it. Jayden had a distinct feeling he had been here before, but he wouldn't figure out when.

"It's five A.M," Antonio sighed, shaking his head, "If we starting calling for him we're going to wake the whole neighbourhood up."

Jayden dialled Mike's number and put his Samuraizer to his ear, "I wish we knew why he left?"

"James brought up a good point while I was trying to cheer up Em. Scruffy was Mike's dog too. Maybe him being dead and Emily so…"

"Down?"

"Yeah. Maybe Mike couldn't stay."

Jayden breathed heavily as he hung up the phone and put his Samuraizer away, "Mike was a runner. He still is, I guess."

"Keep trying," Antonio pointed to the Samuraizer, "He might not pick up, but we might hear the ring."

"Jayden!" a woman's voice called. Jayden turned around and saw a woman standing on the edge of her porch, waving at him. He pointed to himself and she nodded. He looked to Antonio curiously before the two of them approached the woman. The closer Jayden got, the more he started to recognize her face. He grabbed Antonio's arm.

"It's Mike's mom!"

"Seriously?"

Now Jayden knew why this neighbourhood felt so familiar. When he had snuck out to get the Rangers' letters from home, he had come here to collect a letter from Mike's mother. He saw her face and smiled brightly. It couldn't a coincidence that Mike had run here. He must have gone home.

Mike's mother pulled him into a hug. It was rather awkward for Jayden. Because he had grown up in the Shiba House with the Rangers parents, they all knew about him, but he had very few memories of them, especially of the ones who weren't Samurai.

"Michael just got home," Mike's mother said. "Though there's something bothering him. He didn't say hello. He just walked upstairs and locked himself in his room."

"His dog died," Jayden explained. Mike's mother gave him a curious look.

"Bowser?" she asked as she opened the door and a German Sheppard greeted Jayden and Antonio with a growl. Mike's mother rolled her eyes and grabbed the dog's collar. She forced him to sit. "He won't bite."

Jayden and Antonio doubted that. They had promised James that when he first met Scruffy, but Scruffy was so friendly they couldn't ever remember him biting beyond his puppy years. This dog, Bowser, gave the boys the impression he loved to chew on anything meaty.

"Our house dog," Jayden said. "Our yellow Ranger Emily had a dog who just died."

"Mike's fiancé," Mike's mother nodded.

David, Mike's father, came down the stairs, looking somewhat frustrated. Since Mike had come home he had been demanding, then begging Mike leave his room. Finally, he had given up. He heard voices downstairs and saw it was Jayden and Antonio.

"He won't listen to me," David said. "You two boys can try talking to him, if you'd like. His room is the one that sounds like a bomb's falling on it every few seconds."

Jayden and Antonio nodded and raced upstairs. They followed the sounds from Mike's video game until they reached his room. They knocked a number of times but Mike couldn't hear them. They let themselves in. Jayden walked to the TV, turning it off, while Antonio ripped the controller from Mike's hand. Mike sat up in bed and frowned.

"Dudes!"

"Seriously, you run home to mommy?" Jayden crossed his arms over his chest. "What about Emily? Her dog died…"

"Scruffy was my dog too!" Mike snapped. He reached for his controller, but Antonio pulled it out of reach. Mike grumbled and slumped back into his pillow, "I'm no help to Emily right now anyways. I'll go back; you know I will."

"She just lost Scruffy, Mike," Jayden said and as Mike was about to speak up he corrected himself, "both of you just lost something very important. Don't you think you need each other?"

"Can't I just get a minute to myself?"

"You'll get plenty of those at the Shiba House," Jayden said. "Mike, you need to come back…"

"What if I don't want to go back?" Mike asked and he suddenly looked like he had an idea. "Yeah, what if I decide I'm not coming back? I mean, what's the point? You faced Xandred, and Serrator's not letting up. We're fighting a losing battle anyways. Might as well call it quits, right?"

Antonio clunked Mike on the head with the controller, "Estúpido."

"Ow, dude, that hurt!"

"It's also going to hurt when Xandred rips our guts out because we lost because of our stupid green Ranger calling it quits!"

Mike rubbed his head, "Well… you don't have to hit me."

"Come home, Mike," Jayden begged.

"I am home."

"Fine, then we're home too," Antonio said. Jayden shot him a strange look. Antonio pointed to the door, "Go ask if we can stay."

"What?"

"C'mon, Jay, it'll be fun," Antonio shrugged. "Playing video games all night, smacking the sense back into Mike."

"No hitting! I'm hurting enough," Mike hugged his pillow.

Antonio pointed to the door again, "Go ask. And use your manners."

"Antonio, we're needed back at the Shiba House."

"They're fine, there," Antonio said, "They've got your symbols keeping them safe and we have our Samuraizers. Anyways, with Mike's dad we're four Samurai and a very intimidating dog."

"Bowser," Mike whispered.

Antonio nodded, "That's practically a full team right there."

Jayden rolled his eyes, "Alright. I guess we can't leave without Mike, anyways."

As he left to ask if he and Antonio could spend a couple of nights, Antonio handed the controller back to Mike and picked up a spare one from the floor. Mike's room at home was just as messy as the one at the Shiba House. Everything Mike owned seemed to be on the floor.

"Let's play a little one-on-one," Antonio suggested. "Maybe it'll take your mind off…"

"Killed you," Mike muttered. Antonio saw the game had already started.

"Death… We might be here for a while."


	179. Forever Remembered

After toughening up, per James' suggestion, Serena found the strength to hold her sister comfortingly and calm her into a sleep. It was never easy watching Emily shed tears, but knowing there was absolutely nothing she could do to stop Emily's pain hurt Serena so much more than she had ever been hurt. There was no bringing Scruffy home. There was no undoing what Serrator had done.

The last time Serena had held Emily like this and rocked her to sleep was when Emily was just a little baby, barely a year old. It was the night their mother left to fulfill her Samurai responsibilities and young Emily still remembered her mother enough to notice her absence. She had cried and cried well into the night until she eventually tired herself out and fell asleep in a young Serena's arms. That had continued every night for a couple of weeks until eventually Emily started to look to her older sister as her mother figure. Not knowing whether or not her mother would come back, Serena embraced the role and never fully stopped.

"How's Kevin?" Serena whispered very quietly as Mia walked back into the room after going to check up on Kevin. She had heard he had come back home after pulling the stitches while chasing Mike and wanted to be sure he was okay.

"He'll be fine. Ji's got him on bed rest until everything's healed up completely. We can't risk that happening again."

"I guess he told you to come back in here, then," Serena said. She knew there was no way Mia would remove herself from herself from her injured fiancé's side unless he forced her to do so. Mia nodded her head.

"He says he's fine and wants to take the time to rest and catch up on reading."

"Catch up?" Serena let out a small chuckle, "He's read every book in here? What's there to catch up on?"

"There's one book he hasn't read as many times as all the others," Mia smiled, "and you know Kevin. Everything's got to be balanced."

Serena nodded her head and looked down at her sister. Finally the sun was starting to shine through the windows and into the room, on her face. The light made everything seem a little better, and she hoped the day would cheer her sister up even just a little bit. It was going to be a big adjustment without Scruffy around. A painful adjustment.

"What if we got a new dog?" Mia suggested. "The house is going to seem so empty."

"We'll let her decide," Serena said. "For now we'll work on moving on from Scruffy."

"Probably a good idea," Mia breathed and pushed herself back up to her feet, "Are you hungry? I can make you some breakfast."

"Please," Serena answered. Mia nodded her head and walked to the kitchen. The rest of the house was back in their rooms, fast asleep, so Mia was alone in the silence. Already the house felt very weird. She was out of bed and the first one in the kitchen, and Scruffy wasn't tripping her out of his excitement at being fed. Mia looked down at the dog bowls by the counter and sighed. She picked them up, dumped the water out of one and the food out of the other and put them in the sink. Scruffy had driven her crazy when he had been a puppy. She had been sharing a room with Emily at the time and Scruffy had taken a liking to all her stuff – in other words, he peed on everything she owned, especially her pillow. Emily trained him to take his business outside, but not before Mia had to spend a fortune buying new stuff for her room.

She also hated playing with the dog. He drooled on everything he touched, and he covered everything in fur. Mia wasn't one to enjoy getting her hands dirty and couldn't stand the thought of touching a slime-coated ball or walking around all day with fur clinging to her clothes.

But she had grown to love the dog, and at times she had found herself wondering what she would do after the war, when she and Kevin got a place of their own. She didn't plan on moving too far away from any of her teammates, and would see Scruffy as often as possible, but her life wouldn't be the same without some kind of furry nuisance running around, making her groan and smile.

"Damn dog," she muttered as she cleaned out his bowls and left them in the sink to dry, "Why the hell did you have to be so brave?"

After drying off her hands, she put some bread in the toaster. She had promised Serena breakfast but she didn't feel like cooking anything.

-Samurai-

Mike was sprawled out on his bed with his controller hanging out of his hand and off the bed, slipping slowly. Antonio and Jayden had fallen asleep in their own corners on the floor. Antonio had his head in a bowl of chips, looking like a helmet, and Jayden's face was pressed to his controller.

A loud, roaring bark startled them all from their sleep. Bowser, Mike's family's dog, raced into the room. He nudged Jayden and Antonio, then jumped up on Mike and licked his face.

"Down, boy," Mike commanded and pushed the dog off the bed. Bowser sat on the floor, waiting by Mike's side. Mike watching him and sighed loudly. He was nothing like Scruffy. He loved his old dog, but he was so used to Scruffy's wake up calls, where he would be licked and stomped on until he reached the food bowls in the kitchen. Bowser just did what he needed to do to get Mike to sit up and then waited patiently for the day to start.

"I made bacon," Mike's mother said from the door as she called Bowser over to her side. "I thought it might cheer you up."

"Bacon's great," Antonio nodded his head and rubbed his eyes, "Right, Mike? You love bacon."

"I'd rather have Scruffy."

"For breakfast?"

Mike shot Antonio a look. It was too soon for jokes. He knew his golden friend meant well, but he wouldn't have any of it.

"C'mon, Mike, we need to eat something healthier than chips and candy," Jayden said as he followed Mike's mom out of the room.

"Bacon's healthy?" Antonio asked. Then he shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever you say, fearless leader. C'mon, Mike, it's bacon health food day."

"Just bring me up a plate," Mike sighed. Antonio gave him a sympathetic look but decided there was no forcing an upset Mike. He walked downstairs, explained to Jayden and Mike's parents that he wasn't leaving his room, and he and Jayden brought him a plate of pancakes and bacon.

When they got back to Mike's room, he had tears running down his face. Mike tried to wipe them away when he saw Jayden and Antonio were back, but it was too late. Antonio handed the plates to Jayden and walked over to Mike's bed. He sat down and pulled the green Ranger in for a hug.

"It's okay to cry."

"He's just a stupid dog…"

"You loved him," Jayden put all three plates on Mike's night table and sat down on the bed as well. He put his hand on Mike's back, "You passed out last night and Antonio and I cried a little too."

Antonio nodded his head, "Well, I cried. Jay was bawling like a baby."

"You promised that would never leave the room."

"And it hasn't," Antonio smirked. Jayden shoved him slightly.

"I'll get you for that one later."

"Guys," Mike pulled away from his friends, "Scruffy?"

"What if you mourn him all today, and then tomorrow, if you're feeling ready, we'll go back to the Shiba House?" Jayden suggested. "You know it's important we go home."

"Scruffy won't be there," Mike shook his head.

Jayden smiled, "But Emily will."

"And human baby Terran," Antonio smiled, "We still have to celebrate that little victory."

"And Serena's there. And Mia, and Kevin, and Ji," Jayden listed off, "and James is home too. You're whole family will be there with you to help you get over this. We all miss Scruffy and we can all help each other… move on."

"Forget him?"

"We're never forgetting him," Jayden shook his head. "He saved us. His sacrifice was huge, and when we beat Xandred and Serrator, it'll be for Scruffy, and it'll be thanks to Scruffy."

"The clumsy little puppy who saved the world," Antonio smiled. He stroked his chin, "You know. That would make an awesome children's book."

"Fisherman, computer genius, Samurai, and author? How much is enough?"

"I'm not saying I'll write the book. I'm just saying, kids would love the story. Maybe tweak the ending a bit…"

"So he's not dead?" Mike asked.

Antonio breathed out a heavy sigh, "Or not…"

Mike bit his lip and looked around his room. He liked the idea of just letting it all out, but he doubted crying was going to accomplish anything. Antonio may have hit on something with his book idea. Mike would never forget Scruffy, but maybe there was a way of immortalizing him in a more constructive way.

"Jay, big moments are recorded for future generations, right?"

Jayden looked to Mike and nodded his head, "Yeah. The more we know, the more we accomplish, the more we can help prepare the next generation. Antonio's got his own little section in history."

"I do?" Antonio asked. Jayden chuckled.

"You're the brains behind nearly all our weapons, new and restored, and you're the very first gold Samurai. Why wouldn't you be making history?"

"Sweet!"

"What about sacrifices?" Mike asked. "Do you think Scruffy's sacrifice is…?"

"Worth noting? Definitely," Jayden shook his head, positive of his answer. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that Scruffy had earned his place in Samurai history.

"Well…" Mike bite his lip nervously, "I know the mentor's usually the one who…"

"You wanna write about Scruffy?"

Mike nodded his head, "In my own way."

"What is your way?"

Mike reached under his bed and pulled out a stack of comics, many of which looked to be homemade.

"I'm a huge nerd. Besides, graphic novels are easier to read and they're more fun. Scruffy loved to have fun."

Jayden smiled and nodded his head, "It's perfect, Mike."

"Thanks," Mike dried his tears with the back of his hand and grinned happily, "Do you guys mind…?"

"We'll get out of your hair," Antonio said. Mike shook his head.

"Helping me?"

Antonio bounced excitedly, "I know a program on the computer that'll make awesome graphic novels!"

Jayden shot Antonio a strange look. The gold Ranger shrugged.

"C'mon, you didn't see that coming?" he leaned forward and kissed Jayden, "Get used to it, Jayden. Your boyfriend is a huge nerd."

-Samurai-

While things were starting to look up at Mike's house, the storm tearing through the Shiba House once more.

Emily was awake, and she was angry. Somehow, in her sleep, it sunk in what had happened. Scruffy had died saving Serena. It was Serena's fault he was dead. Emily believed that whole-heartedly and was at the point in her anger where she wanted Serena to think the same.

Fortunately, James was in the room as well while Emily threw everything she had at Serena. He reminded the older sister that Scruffy's death wasn't her doing and there was no one to blame but the Nighlok who cut him open with a sword and left him to die. Many of Emily's screams hurt Serena, but thanks to James, she was able to let her sister vent without breaking down.

"You stupid, worthless…" Serena blocked out the rest of Emily's words and told herself it was the anger talking, not her sister.

"I know you're hurt, Emily."

"You killed him!"

"It's okay to be angry," Serena couldn't imagine this being any worse. James had convinced her that deep down, Emily was happy it was Scruffy and her that was dead, but if this was the anger and the pain Emily was displaying for the better of two bad choices, Serena couldn't bear to think of what her sister would be like if she had been the one to die. Could it really get worse?

"I hate you!"

"It's okay."

"Go away!"

Serena took a few steps back but Emily screamed louder. It was no wonder she was so angry. She had no idea what she really wanted.

Emily picked up one of Scruffy's balls and launched it at her sister.

"Emily!"

"How about a walk?" someone suggested from the hallway. Serena, James, and Emily all turned around and saw Ji standing beside Dr. Fletcher. Fletcher stepped into the room and grabbed Emily's arm, "Ji tells me Scruffy died."

"I called him," Ji said to James and Serena.

Emily shook her head and tried her rip her arm out of Fletcher's grip, "I don't want to go on a walk! Let me go!"

"We'll just walk," Fletcher grabbed both of Emily's arms as she tried to pull away. Already he could tell she needed to get out of the house, away from some of the memories even if it was just for an hour or two. Ji had already filled him in on the trails Emily would walk with Scruffy so he knew which ones to avoid. He had a path already planned out where he and Emily would walk, and if she felt comfortable, they would talk.

"NO!" Emily cried, sinking to her knees. Fletcher didn't let go of her arms.

Serena knelt down beside her sister, "I'll go with you, okay? And we'll take Terran in his stroller. You can push him around."

"There's a good idea," Fletcher nodded his head, "Why don't we do that, Emily?"

"Go away!" Emily screamed to the doctor. She wasn't ready for him yet and he understood that. He let go of her. Emily instantly threw herself into Serena's arms. Serena hugged her tight and rocked her slowly.

"A trip through the woods, Emy," Serena whispered, "I know you want to calm down. Just try it, okay?"

She could already tell Emily was less reluctant to go now that the walk had been called a trip. Doctor Fletcher was good at what he did, and Serena was sure he would be able to help Emily once again, but he was still human. He still made a few mistakes here and there. Fortunately, she knew her sister well enough to step in and help.

"I'll go get Terran ready," Serena said, "I'll meet you by the door and we'll just walk around outside for a bit."

She kissed her sister's forehead and walked to her bedroom. Terran was sleeping in his crib and Serena normally didn't wake him up, but she figured he would mind. He could sleep again in the stroller anyways, and Emily needed something to do other than focus on Scruffy.

Emily pushed herself up to her feet and stormed out of the room, stomping on the floor until she reached the door.

"I have a lot of work to do," the doctor said and he turned to Ji.

"And you will be paid accordingly," Ji promised. "If we get her smile back, I'll give you everything I own."

Fletcher chuckled, "It's on the house, Ji."

Fletcher gave Ji a gentle pat on the back and then followed Emily down the hall so he could get ready for the walk.

James shook his head and looked to Ji, "Uh, who is he?"

"A friend."

"I got that," James nodded, "I meant, who is he, why is he here?"

"He's here to help Emily with her grief," Ji explained. "I have called him over once before and he's worked wonders on her, and the other Samurai. He's more than capable of helping Emily deal with her loss."

"She's not screaming right now. I guess he's already starting to work."


	180. The Necklace

While Serena and Emily were out on their walk with Dr. Fletcher, the house was finally silent and the residents could do as they pleased, even for just a brief moment.

James went to take a nap. He knew that when everyone was home again the house would spin back into chaos and he would need all the energy and patience he could get, and he had neither when he was tired.

Ji worked on cleaning up the house. Hurricane Emily had hit and she had left his house in a complete disaster. He knew it there wasn't much point cleaning it up because it was only going to get messy again, but it gave him something to do.

Mia went to visit Kevin. She sat down beside him on the bed, stealing his attention away from the book he was reading. He didn't need her to say anything for him to know what she needed. He put the book down and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her face in his shoulder and started to sob.

"Just admit it," he said as he rubbed her back, "you loved that little mutt."

"I want one," Mia said into Kevin's ear. He pulled back.

"What?"

"Not now, but eventually I want a family pet. It doesn't have to be a dog, I guess, but… the little guy grew on me and now I can't imagine not having one."

"You know we're never going to find another Scruffy again, right? He's not coming back. He's never coming back."

"I'm not looking for another Scruffy," Mia shook her head, "No one's ever taking Scruffy's place. I know that."

"But you want another one?" he asked. Mia smiled and nodded. Kevin smiled back, "Me too. A little, playful dog for those kids we plan on having."

"That means we should probably look for a house outside of the city. Somewhere in the suburbs. The dog can run around, the kids can play on a swing set you'll build."

"You really want that perfect life, don't you? The white-picket fence dream life?"

"Who doesn't? But I only want this if you want it too. The dog, I mean. The kids, a nice house, and stuff; that is a deal-breaker if you don't want it."

Kevin chuckled. He pulled Mia in for a kiss, "I want the white-picket fence, the kids, the swings, the dog… I want it all too."

He reached under the bed and pulled out Mia's wedding book. He flipped to the last page, the after-wedding page, where he and Mia had started their to-do list to get their lives going after Mia's big dream wedding. This was the page Kevin had put into the book. The only page he loved to work on. He wanted to get everything all planned out before he jumped in. Under _find house near good school_ he wrote _get dog_.

"We'll see what we fall in love with when it happens," he said to Mia and she smiled.

-Samurai-

Jayden, Antonio, and Mike were locked in Mike's room, putting together the pieces for the graphic novel Mike wanted to make based on Scruffy's life. He found that working on it helped him deal with Scruffy's loss, as Jayden and Antonio continued to remind him of all the fun Scruffy had brought into the house. Many of the memories they had, Mike had forgotten all about. He found himself laughing as he remembered some of Scruffy's silliest and funniest moments. Though short lived, Scruffy had had a really great life. With help from the program Antonio had set up on Mike's computer, they were done the first book by dinner time, and Mike had plenty more ideas for stories jotted down in a notebook.

"You feeling better?" Antonio asked as he turned off the computer. Mike's mother had just called the boys down for dinner, and the footsteps on the stairs told them Bowser was coming up to make sure they were on their way. Though Bowser wasn't as fun-loving as Scruffy, he was just as loyal. He had come upstairs several times during the day and sat by Mike's side, especially when Mike found himself getting overwhelmed.

When Bowser came into the room to bring the boys back downstairs, Jayden and Antonio saw something they didn't think they would see again for a while. Mike started to wrestle with the dog. Bowser snapped back playfully, and seemed to love roughhousing with Mike. Jayden and Antonio had seen Mike playing like this with Scruffy. It seemed Mike had learned how to wrestle with the dogs from growing up with one.

"BOYS!" Mike's mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs. Clearly she was losing her patience. Something clicked in Bowser's head. He grabbed Mike's arm gently in his mouth and started to pull him towards the door.

"I'm coming, I'm coming. Go tell mom I'm on my way."

Bowser raced out the door, following Mike's orders. Mike wiped his arm on his sleeve and turned to Jayden and Antonio.

"We should probably go now before Bowser thinks I lied to him. He's pretty smart."

"I take it you are feeling better, then," Antonio asked again. Mike nodded his head.

"Yeah."

"You know, that graphic novel program, I have it on my laptop at home. We could keep working on it there."

"Can we have dinner first?" Mike asked, "Mom made my favourite. I can smell it."

"Pizza," Jayden chuckled. He gave Mike a pat on the back, "What about after dinner?"

"We'll say goodbye," Mike nodded.

-Samurai-

Emily picked at the food on her plate. She hadn't said anything on her walk, but she hadn't exploded in anger or broken down into tears since. She was still upset, but this was a step up, though very small.

She sat alone at the table. Everyone else had finished their meals and had left to do their own thing. Dr. Fletcher and Serena watched Emily from the common room.

"Before she can talk to us, she needs to process her emotions for herself," Fletcher told Serena. "It might be a few more hours, maybe even a few more days, but she'll come to you when she's ready. All you need to do right now is let her know you'll listen."

"What if it's more than a few days?" Serena asked.

"I'll let you know if she's doing something unhealthy."

"Like pounding the crap out of me?"

"You looked like you can take it."

Serena chuckled and then sighed, "We grew up on a farm. Animals died all the time. She once found an injured bird on the side of the road and insisted we try to heal it."

"What happened?"

"I don't know the first thing about taking care of birds," Serena shook her head. "We had it for about a week before it died. Emily was upset, just like every other time one of the farm animals died, but never like this. I know it's Scruffy and it's different, but…"

"You're under a lot more stress," Dr. Fletcher said. "You're saving the world. Everyday there's something out in that world that wants to kill you. You're all allowed a snapping point. That's why Ji made sure he was friends with a therapist, and that's why I'm here."

"Sometimes, I wish the end would just come," Serena sighed. "I wish Xandred would just go for it and try to flood the Earth. I want that normal life. I don't want to worry every time someone leaves the house. I don't want to worry I'm going to make a mistake that'll cost my sister or my friends their lives."

"Like what happened with Scruffy?"

Serena looked to Fletcher, somewhat wide-eyed before nodding her head.

"He sacrificed himself for me. That wound killed in within seconds. It would have been just as bad on me."

"I hear Emily wasn't even around when it happened."

"She was in Japan," Serena said, "She had no idea until a couple of days later… when we told her."

"A sudden loss can be a traumatic thing for anyone. You're completely unprepared for it when it happens. For example, when you were ill, your family, Emily especially, started preparing themselves for the worst."

"Yeah. Dad shifted chores around on the farm, mom tried bonding a little more with Emily… they did stuff that would help them cope without me."

"So they knew what to expect after you passed. Though the moment would have been heartbreaking…"

"It would be easier," Serena breathed. She had to admit, knowing her family had a plan for after her death made coping with her short life a lot easier for her. It was likely the same for them. After she died, they would have a plan to lean on, a strategy to get by.

With Scruffy's sudden death, Emily didn't have that. She hadn't even been expecting the Nighlok to come to her door while she was gone. But they had, and they had taken Scruffy with them – unexpectedly. Unexpectedly, a big part of Emily's heart had been ripped out, and there was nothing there to fill the void.

"It's also a reminder of what could still happen," Fletcher said. "At any moment, the Nighlok can come back and they can do it all again. Jayden could be next, or Kevin, or Mia. This time, it was just the dog. Next time it happens, and right now she's probably convinced herself there will be a next time, it'll be something even more irreplaceable: her big brothers, her uncle Ji, her best friend, her nephew, her boyfriend, or even her sister. What will she do then? How will she carry on?

"You mean she's scared?"

"I would be too," Fletcher nodded his head. "It's a very real danger and it's staring her right in the face. She's upset her dog died, of course, but she's scared it'll happen again."

"It's not going to happen," Serena shook her head.

"Can you promise that?"

Serena sighed. She couldn't.

"Go sit with her," Fletcher said. "Let her know you're here with her now. That's all you can do."

"I want to promise her I'll always be there with her. We're all going to be there with her, no matter what happens to us. No matter what Xandred tries to do to us."

"Serena…"

"It's possible, Fletcher. That's my sister, and not even death's going to take me away from her."

"Serena…"

Serena didn't listen. She walked over to the kitchen and sat down beside her sister. Emily didn't react in the slightest. Serena took her hand. She held it tight.

"Come with me," Serena led her sister to the hallway, where she picked up Scruffy's collar, and then walked her sister to her bedroom. She sat Emily down on her bed and pulled out a chain from a small box Serena used to stash away her jewellery. She removed Scruffy's tag from his collar and put it on the chain.

"What are you doing?"

Serena then took her own necklace off and removed the jewel. It was Terran's birthstone. Her parents had mailed it to her a few weeks after he was born and she had been wearing it around her neck ever since. She slipped the stone onto the chain, where it rested beside Scruffy tag. Serena gave the necklace to Emily, and then took her hand again. They walked until they reached Ji's room. When Ji opened the door, Serena had Emily show him the necklace.

"Do you have something to add?" Serena asked. Ji nodded and walked to his desk. He pulled out a small red button.

"I've had it with me since I was a child," Ji smiled, "It was a button on my lucky shirt. To this day, I still consider it lucky."

Serena put the chain through one of the holes on the button and thanked Ji. She then led her sister down the hall to Mia and Kevin's bedroom. She walked in and explained the necklace while Emily stared at it, wondering what her sister was doing.

Suddenly, Serena was standing in front of her with her hand held up, palm facing up. In her hand were two more things to add to the necklace. A ring that belonged to Kevin that his father had bought him after winning a race and another stone from Mia from a necklace she owned. Serena slipped them on beside Ji's lucky button.

"We're home!"

Emily dropped the necklace and raced to the door when she heard Mike's voice. She jumped into his arms and hugged him tight. Serena followed, with the necklace in her hand. She whispered her plan to Jayden and Antonio and they both went off to get something for the necklace.

"Feeling better?" Serena asked Mike when Emily finally let him go and she got her chance to hug him. Mike nodded his head and Serena smiled. She too whispered her idea in Mike's ear. He gave another nod, kissed Emily's cheek and then hurried off to his room.

Antonio came back with a key in his hand, "It used to open the shed in my father's back yard. I used it as a fort until it broke down, but I've kept the key cause that fort was a big part of my childhood."

Jayden was next to come back, and explained his choice of charm while Serena put Antonio's key on the necklace.

"I got this little guy in a cereal box," Jayden showed the tiny action figure to Emily, "Ji wasn't a big fan of regular toys so it was one of the only ones I had growing up. He used to have a parachute on his head, but that broke."

Serena took the little toy and slipped the necklace through the small hole at the top of the head.

Mike came back at that moment, showing Emily a small flower charm.

"It looks just like the flower I proposed to you with, remember?"

Emily nodded her head. Serena put the charm onto the necklace, and then put the necklace around Emily's neck. She kissed her sister's cheek.

"We all gave you things that are important to us because we know we're not going to lose them," Serena held her sister by the arms and smiled at her, "No matter what happens, we're always going to be with you?"

"What if I lose the necklace? Or one of you stuff?"

"We'll still be with you, Emily? It'll take more than a missing charm or a Nighlok's sword to separate us, okay?"

"What about Scruffy?"

"He's here," Serena's poked Emily in the forehead and then in the chest, on her heart, "and here. Forever."

Emily nodded her head. Her chin quivered. Serena pulled her into her arms and hugged her tight.


	181. Memories Live On

"Maybe this job won't be as hard as I thought," Dr. Fletcher said to Ji as they watched the Rangers set up the common room for bed. Now that they were all home and feeling just a little better, they decided they would stick together. Scruffy's loss didn't seem as big when they were all sharing their pain, and Emily didn't feel as sad when she was surrounded by all her friends. She wore the necklace they had made for her around her neck and Serena noticed that when Emily looked like she was feeling overwhelmed, she would touch one of the charms, usually Scruffy's tags. Because it had only been a day since she heard her beloved dog was dead, Emily felt overwhelmed quite a bit and ended up falling asleep while holding onto Scruffy's tag.

Serena kissed her sister's forehead and tucked her in. The others were still getting settled. Kevin, especially, needed to find a way to sleep that wouldn't put his stitches at risk. Eventually, they all found their positions except Mike. He was sitting on his stool, working on Antonio's laptop.

Ji looked to Fletcher, "It's amazing what you can do."

"It's amazing what they do," Fletcher said. "All I did was suggest what the problem might be. The team came together. They'll heal themselves if you give them enough room and time."

"You wouldn't mind staying an extra few days?" Ji asked. "They know each other well, but there's always one who ends up falling off the wagon or who is left behind."

"I can stay as long as you need," Fletcher nodded. "I cleared my schedule. I'm all yours."

"Thank you," Ji smiled and gestured down the hall, "You have the same room as the last time you were here. We don't have many guests, so everything is as you left it."

"I'll see you in the morning," Fletcher nodded and he went off to bed.

In the common room, Mia groaned. The light from the laptop Mike was using was keeping her from falling asleep.

"Do you have to work on that?" she asked. "Can't you save it and work on it in the morning?"

Mike shook his head, "Nights are the worst. I close my eyes and all I see is what happened."

"C'mon, Mike," Serena groaned, "This is one of those rare moments where you can be all cute and snuggly with my baby sister and I won't smack you for it. Take advantage."

Mike turned the laptop around, showing the team the graphic novel he, Antonio, and Jayden had started at his house earlier in the day.

"Is that Scruffy?" Kevin asked, leaning in a little closer to see, "That dog looks just like…"

"Scruffy Samurai," Mike grinned. "Antonio came up with the idea."

"We've got the first book done," Antonio said. "Mike's working on the second."

"It helps him grieve," Jayden explained, "and keeps him here at home."

"Writing about Scruffy and thinking about him constantly helps you forget?" Kevin asked. Mike shook his head.

"I never want to forget Scruffy," he said. "Writing just helps get it all out. And Scruffy's given us so many good memories. It's hard to think back on his life and not smile."

"I remember that dumb dog racing through the house as a puppy," Kevin said with a smile, quickly finding Mike's statement to be true. "It had only been a few days since you brought him home and he wasn't used to all the hardwood. He would race around the corners and he couldn't stop sliding. It drove Mentor crazy because he would knock everything over."

"I remember Emily chasing him around the house," Mia added. "That was the funny part. If Scruffy didn't knock something over, she did."

"I remember teaching him to pee on your pillow," Mike chuckled and looked over to Mia. She gasped.

"You _taught_ him that!"

"He was smarter than you think."

"Scruffy took a while learning to pee like a man," Jayden chuckled and nudged Antonio, "but our golden boy taught him how it's done."

"Good times," Antonio smirked. "Ji still has no idea why his vegetables weren't growing in that spot of the garden."

"James was scared of him," Serena laughed. She sat up and looked down at her fiancé, "You froze up in terror when you first saw him."

"I didn't know he was the friendliest dog I would ever meet. I had to be prepared," James said.

"You remember when Dekker challenge Jayden to the duel?" Kevin asked. The team looked to him.

"Which time?"

"That time he kidnapped us. One by one."

"He didn't kidnap you," Jayden said, "You went by choice."

"And I still don't regret it," Kevin pulled Mia in closer. "Anyways, I remember Emily made herself sick with worry and we used Scruffy to track her down. Well, almost. He got us close enough."

"He loved her," Mia nodded her head. "When she would get hurt, if he wasn't in the room, by or even on her bed, he would sit outside the door. Remember, we had to bring his food to him."

"Wait, he wouldn't even move to eat?" James lifted his head. "I've heard of dogs who stay by their owners graves but… that's real?"

"He'd sit outside her door," Jayden said. "And he knew if it was something serious too. He would start crying."

"Wow," James breathed. "Major points for loyalty."

"He was always different when she wasn't around," Serena nodded, "and he knew the difference between when she left to the store or something, and when she left for a battle. You guys probably didn't see it, but when you were off fighting Nighlok, Scruffy would go and sit on Emily's bed and just wait. When he would hear the door open, if he heard her voice, he would come racing over to greet you all."

Mike grabbed the urn, which sat on the table, "Good boy, Scruffers."

"Man…" James whined and pressed his face into his pillow. "Now I want a dog!"

"We have a dog," Serena chuckled, "He goes by the name Mike, but he'll answer to moron."

"HEY!"

"Told you," Serena teased and ducked when Mike threw a pillow at her head. "I said I wouldn't smack you for touching my sister. I never said I'd stop messing with you."

"You know what I remember?" Emily sat up, showing everyone she was awake. Mike closed the laptop and sat next to her. Serena took her hand.

"What's that, Emy?"

"Scruffy would do anything for me," Emily touched the tag on her necklace, "I used to think he would just cuddle with me when I was sad or scared, or cheer me up when I was upset but…"

"But…"

Emily leaned into Serena, "He saved you. That stupid dog knew he had to save you and he gave up everything to do it. I wasn't even here…"

Serena hugged her sister tight. It hurt. She wished it hadn't of happened, but she was happy Scruffy had given her this second chance and she was going to make him proud. From the start, it had been his job to make Emily happy. It was his job to keep her smiling, and he did it until his dying die and he would continue to do it. Because of him, she was still alive and she would not let him down. Emily would smile again. The whole house would smile again.

"You know, Emy, I've always loved you."

"Yeah."

"Even the day I tried to mail you back to the hospital."

There were a few sniggers in the room. Emily pulled away from her sister.

"What?"

"Relax, I put air holes in the box so you could breathe. And I put a fragile sticker too."

"You tried to mail me?"

"Yep," Serena nodded. "I put you in a box, taped it up, and put a sticker on the top that said _Send back to hospital. She's loud and stinks._"

"You tried to mail me?"

"I would have been successful too," Serena chuckled, "but I couldn't get you into the mailbox. I mean, I tried. I tried really hard."

"What happened?" Emily asked.

"The rooster ratted me out," Serena muttered. "I wasn't going to give up. I'm no quitter. But the rooster ran by, started cockadooddledoodling and… what's so funny?" she asked when she heard Emily starting to laugh.

"Cockadoodledoodling," Emily answered.

Serena smile and hugged her sister close, "Yeah, he cockadoodledoodled so much, dad got fed up and came over to… politely ask him to quiet down. That's when he saw me trying to mail a package with air holes. He thought I was mailing a chicken. Boy was he surprised, and pissed off, when he opened the package and there you were. I got an earful."

"Why would he think you're mailing a chicken?" Antonio asked. "Who would you mail a chicken to?"

"That farm where chickens go once they outgrow ours," Serena answered and looked down to the floor, "Well, that's where I thought they went when I was seven and…"

"You tried to mail a chicken?" Emily laughed.

Serena nodded her head, "The year before that, I snuck into the chicken coop before dad, collected all the eggs and put them in a box. Dad thought the chickens were having a bad day. Meanwhile, I was talking with the mail man, telling him to make sure the package got to the Easter Bunny."

"Why did you mail the Easter Bunny eggs?"

"I was trying to be helpful," Serena said, "Everyone knows bunnies don't lay eggs. I thought I'd be nice and give him a few from our farm to help lighten his search for eggs. The year before that…"

"All this happened before I was born?" Emily asked.

"Well, the mailing you happened after, but yeah, before you were born, I was a handful."

"What happened?"

"You were born," Serena muttered, "And suddenly I was a big sister and I had to be responsible, and blah, blah, blah."

"You make me sound like a chore," Emily pouted. Serena nodded her head.

"At first, you were," she said, "but then you got cute and started walking, and I learned I could use you get away with stuff. All I had to do was bribe you with a cookie and you would do anything I asked. I also stole from you. Sorry."

"What?"

"You were three, you didn't need the money and I wanted ribbons for my bike," Serena shrugged. "Dad said I needed to earn the money myself, but it was going to take too long, so I traded you five one dollar bills for that ten dollar bill grandma had given you for Christmas and I finally had enough money."

"You stole from your baby sister?" James asked. "Wow, you are not the woman I thought I was marrying."

"It was technically only five bucks. And Emily loved the ribbons. And, I let her ride in the basket. Until dad caught me and yelled at me again."

"You owe me five bucks," Emily held out her hand.

"Not my fault you fell for it."

"I was three!"

"I should have known then and there you would never be good in math," Serena shook her head and sighed, "Could have saved us a fortune on tutoring. Besides, you used those five bills to buy yourself a big ice-cream sundae you never finished."

"I remember that. You ate what I didn't finish, which was more than half!"

"And it was good!"

Emily laughed, "You owe me big time. For mailing me, stealing money off me, putting me in your basket dangerously…"

"Hey, I also saved your life. You were running around while dad was chopping wood. He wasn't paying attention because you know how he drifts off…"

"I don't like where this is going," Mia covered her ears.

"Anyways, no surprise Emy tripped trying to get away from me. At that point, Dad stopped chopping wood and set his axe down to get a drink. You were just about to fall onto it and slit your head open when I grabbed you and saved you."

"Why was I trying to get away from you?" Emily crossed her arms over her chest.

"Because you were at the age where it was your turn to start doing stupid shit," Serena teased. She looked around the room, "She may look innocent, but babysitting her was a job and a half. Do you know how many places she got her head stuck?"

"I may have gotten my head stuck a few places on purpose," Emily said nervously. "You always used butter to get me out and it always tasted like popcorn."

Serena smiled and gave her sister a kiss on the top of her head, "You were a handful, kid, but you always made me smile, no matter what kind of day I had. That rubbed off on Scruffy. Just like with me, you gave that dog the best damn life he could have had, and though it was short lived, it was well lived. He's up there, Em, in doggie heaven wagging that tail of his and telling all the other dogs just how awesome his best friend was."

Emily nodded her head. Her eyes started to tear up, but she managed a smile.

"I miss him," she whispered. "I really miss him."

"We all do, Emy. But he's not gone. He'll never really be gone."


	182. The Winning Battle

Though Emily had cracked a smile the night before, and for a moment it seemed like she was starting to move on from what happened with Scruffy, Serena was still scared for her.

It was the early hours of the morning. Serena couldn't sleep. She stared at her phone. She had to go to work in a few hours but she was worried about leaving Emily alone. She knew the rest of the house would take care of her, but she just couldn't be sure it was the right thing. It was only a little over a day since Emily heard the bad news.

Pulling herself out of bed, Serena walked down the hall to Dr. Fletcher's room. It was painfully early in the morning, but she needed his advice. She knocked quietly, as though she didn't want to wake him. After a couple of moments of silence, she heard footsteps and then the door opened.

"Serena? Is everything okay?"

"I have work," Serena said. "I need to go to work, but I'm not sure about leaving Emily. Last time we talked, you and I worked on distance."

"Between you and your sister," Fletcher nodded. He remembered it well. Serena hovered around Emily constantly, protecting her from almost anything, that it was having an effect on Emily. The younger sister was dependent on her sister to the point where she couldn't face her fears unless her sister told her she could, and even then, Emily wanted Serena to hold her hand the entire way through. Already, Fletcher had seen some improvements since the last time he was here, and he was happy to see Serena supporting Emily and not trying to fix everything for her. She was letting Emily deal with her emotions, and stepping back when she thought it was important. On the walk, he had seen Serena wait patiently for Emily to open up, though she hadn't. Serena told Emily when they got back to the house that there was a group of people she could talk to. Whomever she felt most comfortable with. She didn't promise she would make things better, because she couldn't.

"If I go to work, it'll only be for a couple of hours," Serena said, "But what if she needs me? Like, really needs me?"

Fletcher sighed, "It's hard to know when to let go, so let's just say you stay. How do you think the day's going to go?"

"Probably a lot like yesterday," Serena breathed, "Up and down."

"And if you leave?"

"A lot more downs than up?" Serena asked. "I don't know."

"Are you the only one who can comfort her should her grief overwhelm her?"

Serena thought about it for a moment and then shook her head, "Anyone can do it."

"Eventually, you will be returning to work. Emily will have her first day without you and without Scruffy."

"But it'll be easier later on…"

"Will it?" Fletcher asked. "You have a life of your own, Serena, and despite how you and everyone else must feel, Scruffy's death should not stop you from living that life. I'm not telling you that today is a good day to go back to work, but why is tomorrow any better? Or the day after? Only you decide when you're ready to go to work and when you feel comfortable enough leaving your sister's side for a few days."

"I thought I had to stop protecting her," Serena smirked.

"Doesn't mean you stop caring for her. This is a difficult time. She will need you."

Serena leaned against the doorframe, "I guess I'll talk to her. If I need to take the day off my boss will really, really hate me…"

"I'll write you a note," Fletcher promised. "He can't exactly argue with a note from me, can he?"

"He'll find a way," Serena smiled. "Thanks, doc."

Serena walked back to the common room and lay back down on her mat. She closed her eyes to sleep for the little time she had left before she had to get up for work. She would talk to Emily, but Fletcher was right, she had to leave sooner or later, whether it was going to be for work, or just getting out of the house. She couldn't keep Emily by her side constantly.

When she woke up again, she saw the sun was already up and so were most of the Rangers. Mike was on Antonio's laptop, working on his book while Antonio and Jayden helped him out. Kevin was sitting up on his mat and reading one of his books. James was up and gone, but Serena could hear his voice in the kitchen, baby-talking to Terran (or so she assumed). Mia was gone as well, but Serena figured she was also in the kitchen. After all, Samurai needed to eat, and Mia loved to cook.

Emily was still asleep, but if Serena was going to make a decision about work she was going to have to do it soon. Gently, she nudged her sister away and smiled.

"Can we talk?"

Emily sat up and nodded her head, "Yeah."

"I have work today."

Emily froze up. Serena pulled her in for a hug.

"It's a half-day," she said, "I'll only be gone for a few hours."

"But… but…"

"I'll have my Samuraizer with me, you can call anytime and I'll answer, I promise. I'll go straight to school and I will come straight home. Then, maybe, we can go out to lunch."

"She'll be here for breakfast and home for lunch," Mike added, figuring he would do his part to help. "It seems like a pretty good deal to me, Em."

"No…" Emily shook her head furiously, "You're not allowed to go!" she beat her fists into the mattress, "You can't go! You're not allowed! No! No! NO!"

"Emy, please listen…"

"Dayu's going to find you and she's going to kill you!" Emily screamed. "She's probably waiting for you to leave! You can't go! You can't leave! You can't ever leave!"

"Serena," Fletcher called from the hallway. Everyone in the house heard Emily's screams and were coming to see what was going on, "Can I see you in the kitchen?"

Serena nodded and got up as Mike hurried over to comfort Emily. She followed Fletcher to the kitchen and sighed loudly.

"I guess I'm staying home…"

"Go to work. Take her with you."

Serena's eyes widened, "How's that going to help anything?"

"Show her there's nothing dangerous on the other side of that gate. Show her you know how to make it to and from school without running into trouble."

"There is danger on the other side of that gate," Serena shook her head. "She's right, Dayu could be right there waiting for me, and if she kills me…"

"The Gap Sensor would have sounded if Dayu were anywhere near," Fletcher said and Serena remembered he was right. With Terran a full human now, the Gap Sensor could be sensitive enough to pick up on Dayu and Dekker. They couldn't get close to the house without setting off at least one alarm. For now, the city was safe, and she could make it to and from work without running into the murderous Nighlok.

"You're the doctor," Serena sighed. She went back to the common room and looked at her sister, "Get dressed."

"NO!" Emily screamed. Serena nodded her head.

"You're coming to work with me."

"NO!"

Serena looked over her shoulder at the doctor. He nodded. She sighed loudly, "Yes, Emily. You and I are going to work, and nothing's going to happen. Dayu's not in the city. There's nothing in the city."

"NO!" Emily screamed and the ground began to shake harder and harder until frames started falling off the wall and the bookshelves and stands threatened to fall over. The earthquake lasted until a red symbol hit Emily and she slumped back into Mike's arms. All eyes turned to Jayden as he tucked away his Samuraizer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, "I had to do it."

"Painless?" Serena asked. Jayden nodded his head slowly.

"Go to work," Mike said to Serena, "We'll keep an eye on her."

"I…" Serena was interrupted by the Gap Sensor going off. She groaned as the Rangers assembled around the map.

"Nighlok," Antonio said and looked up at the team, "Seems Serrator doesn't wait."

"He knows we're weak," Serena turned to Emily, asleep in Mike's arms, and then to Kevin, who still wasn't allowed to battle because of the stitches. He could easily pull them again just by running to the battle site.

"He thinks we're weak," Jayden corrected her. "He's thinking exactly what we want him to think. He's going to underestimate us. This is our time to come back."

"You're crazy," Serena shook her head. "We're down two Rangers and we're all still upset over Scruffy…"

"Scruffy died to save us all," Antonio said, "It'll be a waste if don't go into this battle, and all the others, and not kick-ass. Jayden's right, this is exactly what we wanted to happen. Serrator's sending the Nighlok out because he thinks we're too weak. He thinks we'll crumble and he'll get what he wants. I say, we kick ass and we take names and we show Serrator he can't push us around."

"Now I wanna fight," Kevin chuckled. He looked to Serena, "I'll keep an eye on Emily. You guys go, kick Nighlok butt and make Scruffy proud."

"For Scruffy," Mia nodded and raced out the door first. Jayden was right behind her, followed by Antonio. Mike stayed back a moment. He locked eyes with Kevin and then nodded, racing out.

Serena was the last to leave the house. She clutched her Samuraizer tight in her hand.

"Show her everything's going to be okay," Kevin said. "Show her we can still fight. We're still a team. Serrator won't stop us."

Serena gave a quick nod of her head and raced off. Serrator wasn't going to take anything else away from Emily or any of the other Samurai. Not if she had anything to say about it.

Kevin took a deep breath and made his way over to Emily's side. She was still sleeping from the symbol Jayden used, and would be sleeping until the pain went away. Kevin draped the blanket over her and sat down next to her.

A thought occurred to him then. If Emily didn't face this herself, the pain would never go away. She would sleep forever. He couldn't have that. He didn't want that for her. Ji had taught him the painless symbol, so he knew exactly how to undo it.

And he did. It was a risk with everyone else out of the house, but Emily was going to have to wake up eventually. Serena was going to have to leave her side eventually. She was going to have to move on eventually.

"Emily," he whispered when her eyes fluttered open. She looked up at him and then around the room. She noticed everyone was gone.

"Where…?"

"The Gap Sensor went off," Kevin told her. Lying to her would get him nowhere. She would find out the truth eventually, and he didn't think he could handle her being angry at him specifically. She was dangerous enough when she was just angry about Scruffy's death. "They went out to stop him."

"What!" Emily jumped up. Kevin grabbed her arm before she got too far. He pulled her into his arms.

"They are going to okay," he told her. "They're strong; you know that just as well as I do."

"But…"

"I'm scared too, Emily," Kevin whispered in her ear. "But that doesn't mean we stop what we're doing. We'll give you all the time in the world to say goodbye to Scruffy but you need to… you need to stop this."

"I…"

Kevin held Emily in his arms, "Dayu was standing just outside our gate. We didn't know what to do. We were sure she was going to wait us out. She's Dayu. She's sick and twisted. We were scared. We all slept in this room together because we didn't want to be alone, just in case something happened. Scruffy slept with Serena. She was most scared because Dayu was after her, and you, James, and Terran were off in Japan?"

"So?" Emily asked between sobs.

"Scruffy stayed with her all night and by her side while we came up with a play to get rid of her. Unfortunately, Dekker and Serrator came with James, and that plan got flushed down the toilet. Serena attacked; the others went out there after her to help. Scruffy went out there to help. Mike held him back, but Scruffy pulled and pulled until he was eventually free. He fought off Dayu and Dekker. Hell, he's the one who stopped Dayu from teaming up with Serrator to kill Serena."

"I know he saved Serena…"

"He's a hero, Em. He distracted Dayu so Jayden and Serena could get away, and when he saw Serena's life was in danger he did the only thing he knew he could do. He took the attack. Scruffy sacrificed himself for Serena, for all of us, and for you. I know that's a lot to take. I know it's not easy to move on from, but for his sake, you have to do it. You have to keep fighting. All Scruffy wanted was for you to be happy."

"But he's gone. Serrator won…"

"Not yet, he hasn't," Kevin shook his head and smiled brightly. "Serrator wanted Serena dead, not Scruffy. He didn't get what he wanted, and we're not going to give it to him. Okay?"

Emily nodded her head. Kevin gave her a gentle squeeze.

"It's okay to miss him," he told her, "but it's not okay to stop everything because he's gone. Promise me you're going to try and… move on?"

Emily nodded her head again. Kevin smiled.

"You know, Dr. Fletcher's a lot better with this stuff than I am," he said. "Your Samuraizer's still busted, so it's probably best if you stay home for this fight. Maybe you can go talk to him a bit. Tell him what's really bothering you."

"Okay," Emily got up and gave Kevin a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you."

-Samurai-

Not wanting to let the Nighlok win, Serena and the Rangers didn't hold anything back. Just as Jayden had predicted, Serrator was underestimating them. He hadn't sent out his toughest Nighlok to stop them, and therefore the battle ended quickly.

But not before Serena could send a message out to Serrator. She pierced the Nighlok through the heart, knowing Serrator was watching. As the Nighlok exploded, marking the end of it's first life, Serena looked down the street. She could see his shadow watching her.

"Wanna know what happens when you piss the white Ranger off?" she shouted. "Touch my family again and the next heart I pierce will be yours."

"If he even has one," Mike muttered and pulled Serena's arm, tugging her back as the Nighlok grew. "I guess we can take it from here…"

Serena shook her head. The white Ranger didn't have a Zord, but there was the Ape Zord. She was no longer hiding her identity from the Nighlok, so she didn't care if they saw her using the Ape Zord. She summoned it, and the Ape appeared in her hand.

Inactive.

"C'mon, Monkey," she groaned. The Ape belonged to Emily, but she knew she could get it to work if Emily wasn't around, especially under the circumstances. "C'mon, for Emy."

The Ape unfolded itself and bit Serena's hand through the glove. Serena dropped it and it folded up.

"What are you so pissed off about?" she asked the little ape.

"We're going Mega-Mode," Antonio told her. "Join us if you can."

Serena nodded her head. She picked up the Ape and ran for cover. If the Ape Zord wouldn't cooperate, she had to get out from under the Megazord and the Nighlok's giant feet.

"What's wrong with you?" Serena asked the little creature, "I know I'm not your mistress, but those are still your friends out there fighting. Don't you want to help them? Don't you want to show Emily…? OW!"

The Ape Zord jumped out of Serena's hand and powered up on its own. Without Serena's help it was a little out of control, but the Ape jumped on the Nighlok, clawing at it and distracting it while the others finished him off. While they celebrated the win, the Ape Zord powered back down and raced off.

"Monkey!" Serena called, watching it run down the street. Though it was small, it was fast, just as fast as any human. Serena groaned as she watched it go and she shook her head. "What's up with you?"

"Serena!" she heard her name being called and turned around to see the other Rangers, "What's up with the Ape Zord?"

"I don't know. She didn't listen to me," Serena removed her glove, showing the others the bite marks, "She's angry at me."

"What did you do?" Mia asked.

Serena shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know…"

Mike pulled the Bear Zord from his pocket, "You know her best. Go see if you can find her and figure out what's wrong."

The Bear Zord nodded, obeying his master. He raced off down the streets, following the Ape's trail. The other Zords jumped out of their Masters' pockets and hurried off as well.

"We won, at least," Antonio smiled happily. "Now we can go home and tell Emily Serrator's no longer in control."

"We need to hold onto this power," Jayden said. "We won this fight, but Serrator knows we're back now. He's not going to go easy on us anymore."

"Same goes for us. We're not going to let him push us around anymore," Mike said. "We're stronger than that. No matter what he throws at us, we're going to stop it."


	183. The Hardest Chapter

The Rangers returned home to find the house silent, just as they had expected.

But they didn't expect to see Kevin back on his own mat, reading a book, and Emily gone. She was supposed to be asleep. He was supposed to be watching her.

"Kev…"

"I woke her up," Kevin interrupted Mia, "Jayden used the painless symbol, but it would never wear off if she just slept and didn't face reality. So I woke her up, we talked, and now she's in the kitchen with Mentor and the doc."

"Wait, she's awake and there's no… what did you tell her?" Serena asked.

"What she needed to hear, I guess," Kevin said. "I can't promise she's moved on, but she's feeling a little better."

"A lot better," Emily said, causing a few of the Samurai to jump as she appeared behind them. She chuckled softly, "Scared you."

"Kevin says you two talked," Mia gently wrapped her arms around the yellow Ranger, "You're feeling better now?"

"I know what happened to him," Emily nodded, "I… I get why he did what he did and I understand why he chose to do it. He was a smart dog."

"Very smart," Mike smiled. "Probably ran into a few too many walls as a puppy, but still smart."

Emily chuckled, "Yeah. And I talked with Dr. Fletcher. I know Scruffy's not coming back anymore. I know there's nothing I can do to change what happened and I'm going to have to move on. It hurts, but I won't be helping anyone, especially me, if I focus on this. I miss him and I'm a little bit scared but…"

"You're going to be okay," Jayden said and Emily nodded her head. She believed him. For the first time since Scruffy died, she knew everything would be okay. All she had to do was push forward and hope for the best.

She walked to the table and picked up the urn. She didn't think she would ever be able to part with it, and had already decided she would keep the urn and the ashes so Scruffy would be with her forever, but she needed to say goodbye to her dog. It was the only thing holding her back.

She put the urn on the bookshelf, where it would be safe from accidentally being knocked over, especially now that Terran was getting bigger and seemed eager to move himself around. Then she turned to the box against the wall, where Scruffy's toys had been put away. She picked it up.

"I want to bury this stuff. His stuff," a few tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Then let's bury it," Jayden nodded. He took the box from her hands and carried it out to the front yard. "Where do you want to put him?"

"Mike?" Emily looked to her fiancé. He smiled and pointed to Ji's garden. No matter how hard the older man had tried, Scruffy always loved to roll around in his garden. It was his favourite spot to play and lie down, especially in the warmer weather. It was the perfect place to let him rest.

"I'll get the shovels," Antonio said. Serena shook her head.

"Don't bother," she pointed her finger at the garden and the dirt lifted itself up, creating a hole big and deep enough bury Scruffy's toys. Jayden set the box down beside the hole. Emily took a seat and reached into the box, pulling out the first toy.

"That annoying squeaker," Mia grumbled, but she didn't mind it when Emily squeaked it one last time before putting it in the hole. One by one, all his toys followed until there was nothing left in the box.

But there was something left. Mia saw it in the corner of her eye. The disgusting, slimy tennis ball Scruffy used to chase for hours on end. The ball she refused to touch or throw. She picked it up and could feel some of Scruffy's spit still coating the fuzzy exterior. She handed the ball to Emily, who looked to it longingly before she set it down in the hole and buried everything by covering it back up with a foot of dirt. Mike traced a symbol, and a flower sprouted right on top.

"We'll win, Scruffers, I promise, we'll beat them all," Mike whispered before turning his back and heading inside to work on his graphic novel. It was all he could do to keep himself from bawling like a baby, though he wasn't sure it was enough. Antonio and Kevin followed him back inside, just in case he needed someone.

Jayden took a seat on the bench. Mia sat beside him and rested her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her.

"Stupid dog," he muttered, pushing back his tears. Mia chuckled. She knew exactly what he meant.

"He's safe now, at least. Nothing's going to hurt him."

Emily still sat beside the grave, creating little rocks and arranging them in the shape of a cross.

"Take care of him, okay?" she whispered. She got up and brushed the dirt off her legs. When she looked up, she saw James and Serena were watching her while hugging each other. They both opened their arms up and Emily jumped in for a hug and started to cry. She couldn't help herself. She needed to let it all out one more time.

But this time, she would be okay. He was in a better place now. He wouldn't have to worry about Nighlok or staying inside the gates so he wouldn't get lost. He wouldn't have to worry about her not coming home after leaving the house. And because he was in that better place, she knew it was okay to move on.

-Samurai-

Fletcher watched the burial from the window. Saying goodbye to Scruffy had been his idea, and Emily seemed to agree with it. After talking to her, he understood how much it hurt her not to be there in Scruffy's final moments. He figured a proper send-off would help her get that closure she needed, and once she said her goodbyes and paid her respects to the beloved dog he was sure had saved her life so many times during his short one, she would be able to finally move on.

He wasn't ashamed to be seen with a few tears in his eyes when Mike, Kevin, and Antonio came back inside.

"Seems my work here is done. I feel like I didn't do much."

"You did a lot," Kevin assured him. "You just being here made me feel a bit better and reminded me it's okay to… feel."

"So without him you're an emotionless robot?" Antonio teased.

Kevin rolled his eyes.

"You helped Serena a lot," Mike said, "and in turn, that helped Emily and the rest of us. I don't know what you told her, but thanks for saying it."

Fletcher nodded, "Never forget how powerful you are, boys. You care, you hurt, you feel pain. The Nighlok see that as your weakness, but if used properly, those emotions, and all your emotions will be what helps you to win this war. Never doubt yourselves, and never let the Nighlok dictate how you fight your battles. There is always something left that's worth fighting for, be it friends, family, or just showing the Nighlok they picked the wrong group of kids to mess with."

"Thanks, doc," Antonio nodded. Dr. Fletcher walked to the door. He never unpacked his suitcase in hopes that he wouldn't have to get too comfortable in the house, so it was already packed and waiting for him at the door.

Before he left, he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Here," he saw Mike holding out one of his graphic novels. Fletcher took it with a smile.

"What's this?"

"The second issue," Mike said. "I've got it saved on the computer, but you should have a copy too. You've helped us a lot. Me especially."

"Thank you, Michael," Fletcher pulled Mike in for a hug. "I know Scruffy was important to you. This means a lot."

Fletcher carefully tucked it away in his bag and walked out of the house, calling goodbye to Ji. He stepped out into the yard and locked eyes with Jayden and Mia. They saw his bag and knew it was time for him to go.

Serena also saw him. She left James and Emily and walked over to him, pulling him aside.

"I don't know what I would have done without you," Serena said. "I know my sister, but seeing her so hurt scared me. I'll be honest, until you showed up; I wasn't really sure what I was going to do. I was kind of hoping she would just see the light magically."

"I was just the aid," Fletcher shook his head, "You were the one who figured it all out."

"Thank you," Serena gave the therapist a tight hug, "Thank you so much."

"Ice-cream," Fletcher whispered in her ear, "Take her out for ice-cream. I hear you owe her five dollars anyways."

"She told you about that, huh?"

"Overheard it last night," Fletcher chuckled. "By the way, if you ever want to talk about the jealousy you have for your sister, and the feelings of being dethroned, my door's always opened."

"Dethroned? Jealousy?"

"I have never met an older sibling who actually put her sister in a package and mailed her to the hospital."

"I didn't mail her…" Serena muttered, "The package didn't fit in the mailbox."

"As I said, my door is always open," Fletcher smirked. He gave Serena a hug, said goodbye to the rest of the team and stepped into his car.


	184. Jealousy

It had been a few hours since the burial and tears still stained Emily's cheeks. She was sad and she was hurt. She still expected Scruffy to come racing around the corner and crash right into her legs, knocking her over like he always did when he got too excited, but she had come to terms with the fact that he never would. She would always miss him, but he was gone and never coming back.

And despite all the feelings beating into her, she knew she was going to be okay. Scruffy had several chapters in her life. He had come in for a reason and he had left for a reason. Emily couldn't have asked for a better best friend.

Best dog friend. She still had many amazing best friends in her life. With her new necklace around her neck, with one charm from each of her friends, she would never be alone. No matter what happened, no matter what Xandred, Serrator, Dayu, Dekker, or the world had in store for them, Emily knew they would always be with her. That was more than enough comfort for her now.

She walked through the halls as she waited for dinner to be ready. Because she was still hurting, Ji was making her favourite in an attempt to cheer her up. She wouldn't complain, of course, but she was ready to get back to normal. After saying goodbye to Scruffy, she knew it was for the best if she actually worked on moving on and getting back to her regular life.

As she walked she couldn't help but feel like something was off; something more than Scruffy's absence. Biting her lip, she turned the corner and it dawned on her. She hadn't seen her Ape in days. She had left it with the Rangers before leaving for Japan and hadn't seen her since. She had been too busy grieving over Scruffy to remember her other animal friend. The friend she had had since birth.

"Monkey?" she called for her but there was no answer. In fact, none of the Zords were home. Emily knew the Rangers had a battle and had called them out, but normally the Zords came home afterwards because they were so tired. Afraid of losing another friend, Emily's heart jumped up into her throat. She raced for the front door, running past the other Samurai who were either playing a game or helping Mike with his novel.

"Emily!" Mike called when he saw her running off but Emily didn't stop. She could feel her heart pounding and her stress levels going up. Why wasn't the Ape Zord home? Where had the Ape Zord gone over the last few days? Emily knew she had been distracted by Scruffy, but she couldn't remember giving any time to the Ape.

"Monkey!" she called into the forest and darted off into the trees, the team was on her heels, trying to get her to at least slow down.

Emily didn't slow down. Panic overcame her, and if she didn't find her Ape soon, there would be trouble, "MONKEY!"

"Emily!"

"MONKEY!" she screamed again before hearing a faint beeping sound. She looked up and saw a six folding Zords up in the tree. With ease she grabbed the lowest branch and pulled herself up higher and higher until she reached the branch the Ape Zord was sitting on. She grabbed her little friend in her hands and cuddled her against her cheek, "Don't ever do that again!" she then screamed at the Ape, "I was worried sick!"

The Ape Zord turned her back to Emily. Emily furrowed her brow.

"Of course I love you," Emily set the Ape back on the branch, "Why would you ask that?"

"What's going on?" Mike asked from the ground. Emily shushed him and nudged her Ape Zord with her finger.

"Because you're not dead," she said. "You're just as important to me as Scruffy was, just in a different way. You're my monkey best friend. He was my dog best friend. Just like Mia's my girl best friend, and Antonio's my boy best friend."

"Sweet. I'm the boy best friend," Antonio grinned proudly and stuck out his tongue at Jayden, "Take that."

In the tree, Emily scooped the Ape Zord into her hand and gave her a soft kiss on the head, "I'm sorry you've been feeling ignored. I've been having a hard time with Scruffy, but I never meant to push you away. I bet you miss him too. I know you used to play with him."

Emily put the Ape on her shoulder and started her climb down the tree, "We'll help each other from now on, okay?"

Ape Zord planted a kiss on Emily's cheek. When Emily's feet hit the ground again, the other Folding Zords fell out of the tree, landing in their masters' hands. They were all folded back up except for the Ape Zord. It continued to sit on Emily's shoulder.

"Antonio's your best boy friend?" Jayden asked her. He wasn't jealous, more curious.

"Boy best friend," Emily corrected with a laugh. "You're all my best friends, but I feel closest with Antonio. Well, Mia, then Antonio and obviously Mike's my best friend of all."

"What about me?" Serena asked.

"Duh. Sister."

"So, where does that leave Kevin and I?" Jayden asked. "And James."

"Big brothers," Emily smirked. She took the Ape Zord in her hand again, "C'mon, Monkey. Mentor's making our favourite for dinner!"

As Emily skipped back to the house, Serena started a mini celebratory dance. Mike saw her and laughed.

"Do we want to know?"

"She's happy, for one," Serena smiled, "And, for once, the Ape Zord was pissed at her, not me."

Mia chuckled and wrapped her arm around Serena's shoulder, "I think Fletcher was right. Maybe there is some sibling jealousy between you and Emily."

"You too?" Serena groaned, "There is no…"

"You tried to mail her," Mike laughed. "I've never tried to mail a human being before."

"Do you know how much she pooped?"

"If she's anything like Terran…"

"And she was so cute and new and… it just got so annoying. I mean, all the neighbours could talk about when they came over was how adorable she was. Grandma and Grandpa kept giving mom and dad presents for her, and everything was always for Emily and… yeah, okay, I hear it."

"It's okay," Mia reassured Serena teasingly. "There's enough room in all our hearts for both of you."

"You all suck."

"And the important thing is…"

"I'll put all of you in the mail if you don't shut up," Serena muttered. "Just let me finish my celebratory dance and then can we go home?"

"Go for it," Mia laughed, dropping her arm from around Serena's shoulder. The older Samurai finished the final moves of her dance and then continued on the path home.

"Well, one thing's for sure," Jayden chuckled, "They're both dorks."


	185. The Rising Waters

The Rangers were more than happy to say that the next few days passed on rather smoothly. Mike was finishing up his final graphic novel of Scruffy's life, and had all the installments placed on the bookshelf beside his urn, so anyone who missed him could remember him.

A regular routine was starting to come back to the house, with morning training right after breakfast, and Serena heading off to school for a couple of hours each day. She was in her last few weeks and had very little left to do with the students. The older ones were excited about graduating and moving on and the younger ones were happy to see the school year end. However, with exams around the corner, the homework club was starting to fill up, and even without Serena they would meet up every day. It made her happy to see a sense of community building in the school that before her arrival was eat or be eaten.

Emily was adjusting to Scruffy's absence. The times where she missed him most, the Rangers would see her playing with the Ape Zord, bonding closely with the little creature that had been by her side since birth. While it was obvious nothing and no one would ever take Scruffy's place, Ape Zord was exactly what Emily needed.

And she even played fetch! When Serena arrived home from work, Emily was in the yard with the Ape Zord, tossing a small bouncy ball around, which the Ape was more than happy to run around after and bring back to Emily.

"Only you would have an Ape that plays fetch," Serena laughed and shook her head.

"It's funnier with a bouncy ball," Emily said and smashed the ball into the patio, where it bounced up into the air, hitting nearly every surface in sight while the Ape chased after it. Emily laughed and Serena managed a smile.

"Cute."

"Wanna play?" the Ape returned the ball to Emily, who held it out for Serena. Before the older sister could answer, the Gap Sensor sounded and the other Rangers, Kevin included, rushed out, ready for the fight.

"Serrator's in the park with his latest Nighlok," Jayden explained to the yellow and white Rangers.

"And it's just them," Antonio added. "No Moogers, so careful, he's planning something."

-Samurai-

Serrator stood at the park, just waiting. His presence alone had been enough to scare off all the humans. Normally he would have told his Nighlok to grab a few of them, but this Nighlok was different. This Nighlok had a special ability that would surely bring the Rangers to their knees and have them begging for mercy.

The Nighlok by his side was a learner. For now, his fighting ability was below that of a Mooger's, but he was a quick learner and within seconds from starting a battle with the Rangers, he would know what to expect from them, and eventually, if he fought them long enough, he would know their strengths, their weaknesses, and he would be able to predict their actions perfectly. There would be no surprise attacks, and Serrator would hear no more excuses of _"I didn't know they could do that"_. This fight would end quickly, and Serrator would finally get what he wanted.

Although the Rangers were proving to be trouble for him, Serrator liked the challenge. He liked being able to fight with opponents who weren't easy to knock down. The Rangers, despite his many attempts to stop them, always seemed to bounce back, and they always came back stronger than before. It kept him on his toes, it kept him thinking, and best of all it made him stronger. Though the Rangers had the most wins under their belt, there was something to be said about the fact that, unlike most of the other Nighlok that had faced them, he wasn't dead yet.

"My, my, my," he said as the Rangers hurried into the park and stood before him and his Nighlok. They were already morphed, but he didn't care. The more weapons they used, the better. "It seems we have the full team today. All seven Rangers came to play."

"Cut the crap," Jayden pointed his Spin Sword out at Serrator and the Nighlok, "Just introduce your pet and get lost."

"My pet needs no introduction," Serrator shook his head, "But speaking of pets, how is yours? I had the hardest time cleaning his blood from my blade after our last encounter."

Emily stepped forward, but Serena and Mike grabbed her arms, holding her back. Serrator chuckled as his eyes fell on her.

"Your pet? I should have known. Everything always falls back onto you, yellow Ranger. Your pet, your sister…"

"Your fight is with me, Serrator," Serena growled, "Why don't you let Xandred deal with the other Rangers?"

"After his spectacular appearance, Xandred is taking a bath. He needs to wash off all the filth from this human world. So for now and until he's back, I'm in charge, and you're right, I want you dead most of all. And I have no problem taking out the rest of your pathetic little team in order to do that. Except red Ranger. I need you."

"You need me?" Jayden asked. That was odd for him to hear. Most Nighlok ended that sentence with dead. They needed him dead. As far as they believed, he was the only one who could seal Xandred and the Netherworld away for good. He was the only one who could put all their plans to a permanent stop.

It was also a bit of a relief to hear, no because his life was no longer in immediate danger, though that was a plus. Now that the Nighlok were targeting anyone but him, his friends were no longer in danger of dying for him.

Suddenly, the tables were turned. It was no longer their job to protect him. It was his job to protect them. He would gladly die for them and it wouldn't be a lie. It wouldn't be a worthless sacrifice.

With a loud roar, he charged Serrator and the Nighlok. Like a coward, Serrator disappeared into a Gap before he could be attacked. The Nighlok took the full force of Jayden's attack and fell to the ground, whining about the pain. When he got up, Jayden tried to do the same thing again, but the Nighlok blocked the attack.

The other Rangers were right behind him. They could each land their first few hits, but it seemed the Nighlok was smart enough to figure them out. After almost five minutes, nothing they did would have any effect on the Nighlok. It was like he could see their attacks coming from a mile away and he countered them before they could have any effect.

"Serena?" Jayden tossed her the Black Box. She had used it once before as yellow Ranger, but never as white. She powered up and slammed a few stronger attacks into the Nighlok, staggering him, but just like any previous attacks, the power from the Black Box was soon rendered ineffective. The Nighlok knew what was coming and stopped everything. He even sent a few of her attacks right back at her.

"I can't hit him anymore!" Serena shouted. The Nighlok slashed at her several times with his sharp claws until she fell to her knees. He hit her once more and sent her flying through the park and into a tree. She hit a few branches on her way down before landing on the ground and powering down.

"What's up with him?" Mike shouted. "He's kicking our asses and we can't touch him anymore."

The fight ended opposite to how it started. Now the Nighlok was charging towards the Rangers, taking them on and landing every painful blow he sent at them until they were all on the ground, nursing their wounds and without their suits to protect them.

"I feel stronger than ever!" the Nighlok cried.

"Now would be a really, really good time for him to dry up," Antonio muttered.

"Dry up?" the Nighlok shook his head, "I'm just getting started. C'mon, Rangers, hit me again! Give me more power!"

"That's enough," Serrator reappeared from the Gap and placed his hand on the Nighlok's shoulder, "Tell me what you know. Where will it hurt them most?"

The Rangers watched, unable to do anything as the Nighlok whispered something to Serrator. Serrator said something back and the Nighlok nodded his head. The exchanged continued between the two Nighlok as another Gap opened up and Moogers flooded out into the park. They circled each of the Rangers, pulling them up to their feet. The Rangers wanted to fight back, and tried, but were so tired from their battle with the Nighlok.

Suddenly, the Nighlok disappeared, leaving Serrator with the Moogers. Serrator walked over to Serena. She struggled to break free from the Nighlok's grasp while glaring at Serrator.

"I promise their safety for a day," he gestured to the Rangers. "If, by the end of the day, you aren't dead, they will be. Red Ranger can help."

The Moogers let go of Jayden and Serena, dropping them to the ground. Serena looked up at Serrator.

"Do whatever you want with me. You can't kill me."

"You'll kill yourself," Serrator got down on one knee and looked her in the eyes, "My Nighlok tells me you'll do anything to keep your team safe. I want you dead, and I want the red Ranger to show me proof. When I see for myself that you are no longer a nuisance to me, I will let all your friends go peacefully. A little wet, but they will live to see tomorrow."

Serrator got back to his feet and called for his Moogers. A gap opened up and they all disappeared, taking Kevin, Mia, Mike, Emily, and Antonio with them.

"You son of a bitch!" Serena screamed, pounding her fists into the dirt.

Jayden pulled himself up to his feet, cradling his ribs, "Let's go home. We'll figure out what to do there."

"How to do it…"

"Serena, no," Jayden shook his head. "We are not going to give Serrator what he wants. We'll do just like what we do every other time. We'll figure something out. We'll all be back home by tomorrow."

"Jayden…"

"If you die, what's going to stop Serrator from breaking his promise?" Jayden reminded Serena. He pulled her up to her feet, "I want them safe just as badly as you do, but we're never going to give Serrator what he wants. No matter how hard he pushes."

Serena nodded her head. Jayden was right.

"He's pushing really hard, Jay."

"Then push back," Jayden told her.

-Samurai-

"My own little paradise," Serrator chuckled as he circled the Rangers. The Moogers had locked them each in place with restraints that kept their feet on the floor. The Rangers, exhausted, sat on the floor. They were in a circle, each looking into the middle. Serrator had them set up so that if they wanted, they could stand up, but they couldn't move around. They were tied down to that spot on the floor, unable to lift their feet even a few centimeters from the ground.

"So, what?" Mike asked, watching as Serrator walked behind him, then Antonio, then Kevin, then Emily, then Mia, and back around again, "You brought us here to play duck, duck, goose? You know it's cheating to tie us down, right."

"I gave your white Ranger a day to make her decision, and I will honour that," Serrator smirked. The Moogers rushed out of the room as water suddenly started pouring in. The Rangers pushed themselves up to their feet. Serrator stopped behind Kevin, "It'll take a full day for the water to submerge you completely. If your red Ranger can bring me proof that the white Ranger is no longer an annoyance to me and my plans before that happens, the water will drain and you will all be free to walk out of here."

"You're going to drown us?" Mia asked. She looked down at the water. It was already at her ankles. She was starting to doubt how long it would take before the water level forced her under. Serrator was sneaky.

"Inch by inch, the water will rise," Serrator nodded. "Some of you better hope the red Ranger gets here by morning."

Serrator laughed to himself as he gave Kevin a pat on the back and then walked out. The Rangers looked to each other fearfully, but only Antonio had wide eyes.

"What?" Mia asked him.

"The water running," Antonio pointed to the spots in the wall that were letting the water in, "is making me have to pee."

"Are you kidding me?" Kevin would have moved away if he could, but instead he gave the gold Ranger a disgusted look, "I am not drowning in your piss water."

"I can hold it in," Antonio said, "but I make no promises for later."

"Water is not my best friend, lately," Emily muttered as she looked down to see where the water level was at now and was horrified to see it was already to her knees, "Guys…"

"Relax, Emy," Mia reached out and took her hand, "He said we have a day, and Serena and Jayden are going to figure something out. No one's going to die."

Just as Mia said that, the water stopped flowing into the room. The Rangers breathed a sigh of relief, but they knew it wouldn't last long. Serrator was not someone they generally trusted, but when it came to their destruction, he never lied.


	186. Another Death

The Nighlok had done a number on Serena and Jayden. Ji already had the first aid kit ready when they got home. Of course, with only two Rangers coming through the door, the first question out of his mouth wasn't _"are you okay"_, but rather, "Where are the others?"

"Serrator took them," Serena grumbled. Though she trusted Jayden would come up with a plan to get the Rangers back without her having to kill herself, she was still angry.

"You have a twig in your hair," James muttered quietly as he picked the stick and leaves from her hair and inspected the cuts and scrapes along her face, arms and legs.

"You know what I don't have," Serena growled, "My sister and my friends. Serrator took them! That Nighlok pounded the shit out of us and then Serrator just walked away with the entire fucking team!"

"I will get you both cleaned up," Ji said, "James, can you look through the book and see if you can find the Nighlok the Rangers faced."

James nodded his head and walked to the bookshelf while Ji sat Jayden and Serena down on the couch. James flipped through the pages, seeing many of the Nighlok had a big red X crossed over their picture. It was good to see so many had been defeated, but the book was still big and there were still many more that needed to be crossed off. How long was it going to take before they were all gone?

He showed each of the imaged to Jayden and Serena until they told him to stop.

"That's him," Jayden said. Ji took the book from James and read about the Nighlok.

"This isn't good."

"What?"

"The Nighlok learns. The more you attack him, the better he knows you."

Serena huffed and looked to Jayden, "No wonder that fight got harder and harder," she looked to Ji, "We used everything we had on him. The more damage we caused… the stronger he got… I guess."

"We'll need a one hit knock-out," Jayden stroked his chin and then gave Serena a look, "but first, we need to get the others back. We're not going to be anywhere near strong enough to take that Nighlok out in a single attack without them."

"Jay, we have no idea where they are," Serena shook her head, "And Serrator's only given us a day. We're not going to find them in time. We need a plan."

"A day for what? What does he want?" James asked.

Serena gave him a look, "What do you think? He wants me dead. He wants me to kill myself."

"What did you do to piss him off?" James asked.

"I'm the mysterious white Ranger," Serena rolled her eyes, "That just screams kill me, don't you think? Besides, apparently he doesn't want to go after Jayden, so why not go after me. Better me than any of the others."

"He doesn't want Jayden?" Ji asked. That sounded strange to him for the same reasons it sounded strange to Jayden when he first heard it. Jayden nodded his head.

"He wants to keep me alive," Jayden nodded. "I don't know why…"

"I know why," Serena muttered. All eyes turned to her.

"You do?" James asked.

Serena looked Jayden in the eye, "Serrator's not working for Xandred. If you seal Xandred away, that's the end of him. Serrator must have a plan for after that. He wants you alive. He wants you to use the symbol on Xandred to weaken him or destroy him. Then he can take over."

"But the sealing symbol should seal everything away for good," Ji said. He pointed to Terran, "That's why we had to heal him."

"Serrator's a sneaky son of a bitch," Serena said, "I wouldn't be surprised if he was working on a plan behind the scenes, and he's just doing this kill me thing for fun."

"Perhaps, even, to keep Dayu and Dekker distracted. He did make it Dayu's mission to take you out," Jayden said.

"All I know," Serena said, "is that, for some reason, Jay, you're protected. You're protected by the Rangers, by Serrator, and everyone he's manipulating. Meanwhile, the rest of the Rangers are out there…"

"Serena…"

"Breaking their necks for you."

"We told them about the sealing symbol, Serena," Jayden shook his head. "We made them believe they were all important…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" James called out, interrupted the dispute between the two Rangers. He didn't know much about the Samurai life, but he knew enough, and he knew about the sealing symbol that would lock Xandred and the Netherworld away for good. "You made them believe they were important?"

Jayden sighed, "Can you keep a secret?"

"I'm already keeping a pretty big one," James nodded his head. "What's going on?"

-Samurai-

After about an hour of inactivity, water had started slowly pouring back into the room, raising the water levels higher and higher up, but slowly for Serrator's amusement.

A few hours passed and the water stopped flowing. Emily breathed a sigh of relief and looked down. The water level was now at her chest.

"Why is the water suddenly warm?" Mike asked and pointed an accusing look at Antonio. He raised his hands up, splashing some water around.

"I made no promises."

"That's disgusting. We're going to die in piss water."

"We're not going to die," Mia said. She was still holding Emily's hand and she gave it a little squeeze, "Serena, Jayden, Mentor, and James are probably all working on a way to get us out of here. We'll be out of here before the water gets too high."

"I wouldn't count on that, Rangers," Serrator stepped out onto a ledge, high above the Rangers' head and poured a bucket of water into their little lake, splashing each of the Rangers. "There's still no sign of your friends anywhere. It's a shame, really. I don't want to take all five of you out at once."

He held up his hands, showing the Rangers he was holding onto a controller. He turned the knob very slightly and the gates started to open again, pouring a little bit of water in.

"That should last until time is up," he said. "Good night, Rangers."

"Something tells me they aren't shutting off anytime soon," Mike then looked to Kevin, "Isn't there a symbol or something you can do to stop the water?"

Kevin shook his head, "Not really. I can hold it back for a while, but all that water's going to add up and get heavy."

"Don't bother," Antonio said, "If it gets too heavy you'll have to let go, and all that water will come splashing in here anyways, on top of whatever water you use with your symbol."

Emily trembled as the water rose slowly. After a little while, she could feel it touching the bottom of her neck, "Guys…"

"Hold your head up high, Em," Mike told her. "You'll be okay."

"Keep an eye on that ledge," Antonio pointed up to the ledge where Serrator had been standing, "Serena and Jayden are going to come through there soon."

Emily lifted her head up as high as it could go and gulped. Kevin would make it twenty-four hours. She doubted she would still be breathing come morning.

-Samurai-

James looked to Jayden in horror. He could not believe what he was hearing. Jayden bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"So all this time…"

"It's not something I'm proud of," Jayden said. He turned to Ji and sighed, "I hate myself for it, but it needs to be done. Trust me; I'm doing all I can to make sure they survive long enough to know the truth."

"And you knew," James looked over at Serena, "You've known for a while now, haven't you?"

"It's not my place to say anything," Serena shook her head, "but you know me, James. I'll protect them against anything, including that…"

"That doesn't change anything!"

"James, if this secret puts my sister in harm's way…"

"She's already in harm's way!" James screamed, "besides, it'll be too late. She'll already be in danger and this secret won't do anything to save her."

"James…"

"Those people you're lying to, they're people. They have a right to live and you're taking that away from them! They'll give up anything for you…"

"That's why I told them we all need to use the sealing symbol," Jayden got to his feet, "So they don't put their own lives over mine."

"But they have," James growled. "And now, because of this secret, you're safe here while they're off somewhere else with Serrator, hours away from death unless we figure something out. Serrator's not going to hurt you, but he's going to have fun taking them out…"

"Shut up!" Serena screamed, breaking up the argument. "Look, the secret's not important right now. It's completely useless if we can't save the others. If we're not going to kill me, what are we going to do?"

Ji stood up and signalled for Serena to follow.

"We still have some props from the Halloween prank you all pulled on Mike," Ji said as he opened up the closet in the hallway. "You were very convincing when you played dead."

"I took drama through my short high school career," Serena nodded. "I can hold my breath almost through an entire scene so no one will see my chest moving. I…" she looked up at Ji as she realized his plan, "I can fake it."

Ji nodded and pulled out the costume. If they were going to fool Serrator, they were going to need to pull out all the stops. Serena was going to have to be convincing, and it was going to have to be bloody.

When he came back into the common room to show James and Jayden what he had done to Serena, Terran took one look at his mother and started to scream.

"He believes it," she said to Ji as she hurried over to comfort her son. She did look horrifying, but the worst, the better.

"If we want to get to the others in time, we need to go now," Jayden said to Serena. "Just make sure you're dead long enough for Serrator to believe you and we'll improvise from there. If he does believe you, we'll have the element of surprise when you're suddenly alive and well."

Jayden tried to scoop Serena up into his arms but she gave him a hard look and shook her head, "What are you doing?"

"You're dead."

"What's your point?"

"You're not the walking dead."

"I still don't see your point."

Jayden sighed, "We don't know where Serrator is. I have to take him to you dead, and he's not going to believe it if you come walking in beside me. Let me carry you."

"I hate this," Serena sighed, letting Jayden pick her up. She handed Terran over to James, who still didn't look very impressed. She could understand his reservations. It took her a while to come around after learning of the secret.

"What are you going to do?" Jayden asked her, "Die of embarrassment?"

"Just find the others," Serena closed her eyes and went limp. Jayden nodded his head and walked out of the house, hoping no one but Serrator would see him and Serena like this.

"They better bring him back," James said to Ji as he tried to sooth Terran. "They don't deserve this."

"I assure you, James, we are doing everything we can to keep them safe…"

"Your relationship with them," James glared to Ji, "It's a lie, and I hope you know that."

"The way I feel about the Samurai is…"

"All a lie," James insisted. "If you truly cared for them, and loved them like your own kids, you wouldn't be playing favourites. Hell, what kind of a father are you? Raising Jayden as nothing more than a weapon? It's no wonder he's so twisted."

"James!"

"You know it's true, Ji," James stormed out of the room with Terran, leaving Ji to his thoughts. The older man sat down and sighed. He held his head in his hands.


	187. Floods

Serrator sat in a separate room from the Rangers, watching screen for any sign of the red and white Rangers. He doubted Serena would kill herself, but knew they would come for their friends. They couldn't risk not doing so.

Though so far it had proven to be ineffective for all the other Nighlok, Serrator loved the slow torture. He loved watching the Rangers scramble for breathing room as the water rose slowly. He continuously turned the dial down, slowing the flow of the water into their room without ever stopping it completely. He turned to his other screen, where he had a camera pointed at them. The water was now up to the yellow Ranger's chin, the bottom of the pink Ranger's neck, and the boy's shoulders. There was only a few hours left before they were all forced under.

"Take a big breath… now!" the blue Ranger told the yellow as the water reached her mouth and finally her nose. The yellow Ranger gasped for breath before her air disappeared. Serrator shut off the water flow just for now, knowing it was only a matter of time before he lost one.

"You son of a bitch!" the green Ranger yelled at him, but Serrator didn't care. He turned his attention back to the other screen and a smile crossed his face. He turned the knob on his controller, opening the gates just a little bit so some water would slowly flow into the Rangers' pit while he was out.

"There you are," the red Ranger was walking right towards his hideout. Serrator got up and headed for the door, stepping out into the woods and into the red Ranger's view. To his surprise, the red Ranger was carrying what appeared to be a dead Serena's body.

"Wow," Serrator smiled as he walked up closer to Jayden to inspect Serena's wounds, "I didn't think she would actually do it. Hand her over."

"Where are my friends?" Jayden asked, hugging Serena closer. There was no point letting her go if Serrator didn't deliver on his promise.

But Serrator ripped her from his hands. Jayden was impressed with Serena's ability to remain completely lifeless. If he didn't know better, he would have thought she was actually dead. Had she died on the way over?

Serrator grabbed Serena by the neck and help her up, but she didn't move. She didn't struggle or gasp for breath. He dropped her to the ground and kicked her a few times. There was still no sign of life from her.

"Your friends are inside. I would hurry if I were you," Serrator said. Jayden nodded and rushed past Serrator and Serena and hurried inside the cave-like structure Serrator had appeared from. Serrator watched him go and then smiled down at Serena's limp body. He drew his sword, just to make sure this wasn't a trick. As he was about to pierce her through the heart, her eyes shot open, she kicked the sword out of his hand and summoned her own.

"I warned you," she told him, kicking him in the gut as she jumped to her feet, "Don't ever fuck with my family again."

One swift move, and she pierced Serrator through the heart, just like she had done with the last Nighlok she had defeated. He fell to his knees as she removed the sword from his chest, hoping he would bleed to death.

"That's for Scruffy," Serena slammed the hilt of her sword in the side of his head and jumped over him, following Jayden into Serrator's hide out.

Serrator gasped for breath. He couldn't believe it. He had seen a betrayal coming, but somehow the Rangers had still gotten him. A nearby gap glowed brightly, sucking him back into the Netherworld and dropping him into the Sanzu River.

In the human world, Jayden raced through the halls as fast as his legs could carry him. Serrator told him to hurry up and he would listen.

Suddenly, he found himself skidding to a stop as the ground stopped and he found himself staring over a ledge. He looked down and the first thing he saw was water. Then he saw heads. Four heads.

"Jayden!" Antonio's call made him dive off the edge and into the water. He didn't know how he was going to get his friends out, but he wasn't going to do it from the top of the ledge. He splashed into the water, very ungracefully, but Kevin wasn't about to complain. Naturally, Jayden swam over to Antonio first.

"Our feet are locked," Antonio said, "You have to unlock them."

"Jayden," Mia coughed. By now the water was up to her chin. Any higher and she would be forced under as well, so instead of wasting her breath, she held up her hand. She was still holding onto Emily's.

"I fucking hate water," Jayden muttered. He took a deep breath and dove under, swimming to Emily's feet. He saw they were locked in place by restraints. Without a key, there was no way he would get them opened in time.

Impossible never stopped him before. He swam up slightly, tapping Emily's cheek with his hand so she would open her eyes. He wanted her to know he was here, and he wanted to make sure she was still alive. Finally he surfaced, only to hear his name being called again.

"Jayden! Get them out!" this time it was Kevin screaming, and Jayden knew why. Mia's head was under water and Mike was about to go under as well. Antonio wouldn't be far behind after that.

"That fucking asshole!" Serena's voice echoed and the boys looked up to see her standing on the ledge, looking down at them. It went without saying that she was unhappy. She traced a symbol in the air and suddenly the entire cave began to shake. A crack appeared in the wall, starting above the water and made its way down, splitting the wall in half. Water started to leak out and the more Serena forced the wall apart, the faster the water started to drain. When the outflow was higher than the inflow, Serena jumped into the water, just as ungracefully as Jayden. Still, Kevin wouldn't complain.

Mia gasped for breath as the water level dropped under her chin. Kevin let out a sigh of relief.

"Mia," he called, "Are you okay?"

Mia blew out her nose, "I think I got water up my nose."

Serena swam over to Emily, pulling her little sister into her arms as the water level dropped below her eyes and finally under her nose, but Emily didn't gasp for air like Mia did. She was limp in Serena's arm.

Kevin still had his Samuraizer in his pocket, and fortunately so. He traced a symbol and willed the water to leave through the hole in the wall. It drained out twice as fast now.

"CPR," he told Serena who lay her sister down and followed his instructions.

Jayden couldn't focus on Emily right now. He needed to get the key that would free all the Rangers. He looked to Antonio who read his mind and pointed to the door where Serrator and the Moogers had left.

Jayden hurried over to the door and pushed it open. He smiled. There, on a table was the key he needed. He knelt down beside Antonio and unlocked the restraints from around his ankles. He tossed the keys over to Kevin, who unlocked himself and then hurried over to unlock Mia.

Finally, the Rangers heard a cough. Serena pulled her sister up into her arms, hugging her in relief. Jayden used his symbol towel to make seven towels while Kevin finished with the key by unlocking Mike and then Emily.

"What about the Nighlok?" Antonio asked as Jayden hugged him, "Is he still out there?"

"He is," Serena said. "We can't stop him without all you guys," She lifted Emily up onto her back.

"He's a learning Nighlok," Jayden explained, "The more we attack him, the more he knows about us. If we're going to take him out, we'll need to try something new and it's going to have to be a one hit knock-out."

"But we can figure that out when we get home," Serena said. She carried Emily and led the others back outside, but stopped when she reached the place where Serrator's body should have been.

"Serena," Emily coughed in her ear. Serena smiled at her.

"Wanna here how I stabbed Serrator in the heart?"

"If Nighlok even have hearts," Mike said.

"Is he dead?" Emily asked.

Serena shook her head, "I don't think so. This would have been where I killed him and he's not here. But I stabbed him through the heart. In and out."

"If Nighlok have hearts," Mike muttered again.

"If he's not dead, I'm sure he'll be out for a while," Serena gave her sister another smile. "All we have to do is stop this Nighlok, and maybe we'll get a few days off."

"I know how to stop him," Emily whispered. She rested her head on her sister's shoulder.

"How?" Mia asked.

"Scruffy told me," Emily smiled and closed her eyes. Mike readjusted the towel around her.

"Tell us when we get home, okay, Em?" he kissed her cheek.


	188. What You Don't See Coming

While Jayden and Serena were out trying to rescue the other Samurai, Ji was in his room. He sat at the foot of his bed, staring into a picture of himself and Jayden on Jayden's eight birthday. All he got was a Samurai related gift and a few cupcakes.

James was angry. Knowing the secret, he had every right to be. But he had said something that really hurt Ji, something very personal. He had called him a bad father, saying he had screwed up with Jayden. Ji took those words to heart because he never believed them to be true until this very moment.

Looking back, the signs were everywhere. James was right. Jayden had been isolated from pretty much the entire world all throughout his childhood. The one time he tried to branch out on his own and made a friend, Ji did everything he could to keep them apart.

Instead, Ji had raised Jayden to be a killer – a killer of Nighlok, but still a killer.

Jayden hadn't started living a somewhat normal life until the Rangers turned up and they forced him out of his shell. They taught him how to have fun and let go. They had been the ones to truly show Jayden the world, whereas all Ji had done was hide him away.

Today, Jayden lived every day in frustration. Frustration because of the secret he carried, the lives he was responsible for, the battles he fought. He had been raised without a choice to fight against the Nighlok, just like every generation before him. And like every generation before Ji, he was the one reinforcing the belief that young adults – children, really – had to sacrifice their lives for the greater good, for a war their parents started. That was no life for a child. That was no life for anyone. Though Jayden had gotten the Rangers to choose this life when they first came, what else were they going to do? Despite their other passions, they had been raised to fight against the Nighlok. What else did they know?

What else did Jayden know? Was he really happy, or had Ji screwed up royally.

"Ji," Jayden's voice called him back from his thoughts. He looked up and saw his son with a smile on his face and assumed the rescue mission went well, "Can you just have a quick look at all of them?"

Ji nodded his head and followed Jayden to the common room, where he caught the tail end of the conversation where the Samurai were explaining to Serena and James what exactly had happened. From what Ji understood, they had all drowned.

"Underwater?" he asked.

"Mia and Emily were fully submerged," Kevin said as he held Mia tightly in his arms, "but if Jayden and Serena hadn't gotten to us when they did, we all probably would have drowned."

"That would have been unfortunate," James grumbled as he checked up on Emily. He briefly shot a glance in Ji's direction, telling the older man he still wasn't happy with him. It got to Ji and he sighed.

"Just… keep an eye on them over the next few hours," Ji said as he turned to the kitchen, "If anything happens you know where to find me."

Jayden had seen the exchange and he knew there was something wrong with Ji. He looked to James.

"What did you say?"

"Fuck off, Jayden."

"James!" Serena cried.

James shook his head. He looked Emily in the eye, "Would you die for someone who every day put your life in danger?"

Emily was confused, "Like… a Nighlok? No."

Jayden felt it. It felt like a punch in the stomach, "Excuse me," he whispered and followed Ji to the kitchen.

"James!"

"You heard her, Serena. No. They probably all agree!"

"Can I talk to you alone for a minute?" Serena grabbed James' arm and yanked him into another room.

In the kitchen, Jayden sat down at the table while Ji made some tea. Jayden looked to his father figure, "What did he say?"

"Nothing, Jayden. It is none of your concern."

"He said something. Something that hurt you."

"And I said it was nothing."

Jayden sighed loudly, "He's just angry, you know that, right? Serena was angry too at first, but she came around."

"I'm sorry, Jayden."

"Sorry? For what?"

"This life. This lie. I'm sorry I couldn't be better…"

"Ji, we're in the same boat," Jayden got up and walked over to Ji. He grabbed his arm gently, "We're both lying…"

"You were just a child," Ji shook his head. "You didn't know any better. I should have…"

"I'm not a child anymore," Jayden said. He pulled Ji into a hug, "I know exactly what I'm doing, and I know I have no choice but to do it, and neither do you. We're in the same boat. That's why I forgave you a long, long time ago, and when this is over, we'll get everything we've ever wanted. Everything we deserve, I promise."

"Thank you, son," Ji smiled.

-Samurai-

In the common room, the Rangers were silent as they listened to the exchange between Serena and James. They couldn't decipher the words, but the screaming between the two of them was loud enough to let the entire house know there was trouble.

"Who do you think I'm going to pick, James?" Serena shouted right after a door slammed and James stomped down the hall, headed for the door. Serena was right behind him, "You would have to be an idiot to think I would pick anything over her."

James was carrying a bag with him. He threw the bag to the ground and turned around to face Serena.

"I'm leaving," he growled. "Terran's always got a home with me, and before you do anything else stupid, you should consider letting him stay with me."

"James…"

"Of course, you're his mother," James threw his hands up in the air, "Forget it, Serena. I'm not staying here."

"Stop it, James," Serena stomped her foot, "Let me…"

"Goodbye!" James shouted and the next thing the Rangers heard was the door slam. Serena walked back into the common room, her fists clenched, but she relaxed them when he looked at the other Samurai. She looked to Emily.

"Scruffy told you how to stop the Nighlok."

"I…" Emily was interrupted as the Gap Sensor went off.

"Speaking of," Serena sighed.

"You'll tell us on the way," Kevin said. "Jayden, let's go!"

-Samurai-

The Nighlok was back in the park, threatening the lives of the civilians who were running away from him. Though Serrator was gone, the Nighlok still has business with the Rangers. He had been interrupted by Serrator and his plans, but now there was nothing stopping him from finishing them off. He would be the first Nighlok to completely destroy the Samurai Rangers. He knew all their moves, their weaknesses, their strengths. He knew their strategies, he knew their styles, he knew everything. Nothing could escape him. Nothing would surprise him.

"What?"

Or so he thought. He would admit, he had expected the Samurai to come fully morphed. Instead, they were wearing nothing but their training uniforms, with a simple mask to cover their faces and to keep their identities a secret. He was a little thrown off, but he could make this work.

"You come unprotected?" he cried out with a laugh, "This will be easier than I thought."

"Scruffy better be right about this," Serena clutched her Spin Sword tight, "Today is not the day I wanna die."

"We have nothing to lose, right?" Emily asked, "I mean, he knows how all our weapons work. He'll just disarm us anyways."

"We trust you, Em," Jayden nodded his head, "Do what you've gotta do."

He gave her a scroll, which Emily unravelled. Before she held it up to show the Nighlok, Mike grabbed her arm.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Just don't make me run for too long," Emily said. She held up the scroll, showing the Nighlok the symbol inside, "Isn't Master Xandred looking for this?"

"Is that…?" the Nighlok stepped in a little closer to have a look, "Is that the sealing symbol?"

Emily rolled the scroll back up and tucked it into her belt, "Why don't you come find out?" she turned around and darted off.

The Nighlok watched her leave and then turned to the Samurai. He had to make a choice now. If he got the sealing symbol, he could give it to someone on Xandred's ship or Serrator if he ever found him. He would be thanked eternally for his good work and the Nighlok could begin working on a spell that would render the sealing symbol useless.

He growled, "Arg, I'll deal with you other Rangers another day," he drew his sword and swung at them. Because they weren't protected by their suits, they couldn't afford to be hit and were forced to jump out of the way, letting the Nighlok by as he began his pursuit after Emily.

"Antonio," Jayden whispered to his boyfriend and Antonio nodded his head. He jumped to his feet and zoomed off after Emily. If anyone could catch up to her, it was him.

The other Rangers looked to each other, each grinning. This was all a part of their plan. The Nighlok was a fast learner, but he wouldn't be able to learn anything if he was too distracted to see any of the Rangers' attacks coming. While he was busy chasing Emily and Antonio around the city, the Rangers had time to set themselves up. He would be dead before he knew what hit him.

Antonio ran as fast as his legs could carry him. He and Emily had discussed the path they were going to take and he knew a short cut. Jumping over a fence, he saw her running by and raced over to catch up to her.

"You okay?" he asked. Emily nodded her head but passed him the scroll.

"Kind of tired."

Antonio took the scroll and stopped running. He held it up so the Nighlok would see he had it. He stuck out his tongue and blew a raspberry.

"I bet you can't catch me!" he called and danced around, teasing the Nighlok while at the same time covering Emily. She still didn't have her Samuraizer fixed, but she traced a symbol in the air. As the Nighlok charged at Antonio, blinded by race from being teased and distracted by his desire to grab the sealing symbol, Emily smashed him with a rock. He hit the ground and landed under the rock. Antonio raced over to him and held the scroll just above his face, "Better luck next time, Nighlok."

He started running back in the direction of the park. The Nighlok roared and smashed the boulder with a powerful punch. Forgetting all about Emily, he got back to his feet and went after Antonio, limping slightly as he ran.

Emily fell to her knees. This was easily one of the most demanding days she had ever had. Only a few hours ago she was underwater, praying someone would save her and her friends before she died. Now she was in a fight against a Nighlok who knew her every move and who only got stronger every time he was hit.

She felt something land on her shoulder and turned. The Ape Zord had found her. This wasn't a part of Scruffy's plan, but it was nice to have a friend with her.

"Thanks, Monkey."

-Samurai-

"Is it ready?" Mia asked.

"It's going to have to be," Kevin pointed down the path where he could see Antonio running back like his life depended on it (which it did). They jumped out of the way, clearing the way so Antonio could run. He darted past them, waving the scroll in the air just to tease the Nighlok further.

"Now!" Jayden shouted and a yellow symbol hit the ground. The Nighlok was so focused on the scroll; he didn't look to see which symbol the white Ranger had used. Suddenly, he found himself stomping on pointed pebbled that pierced through the soles of his feet, staggering him and slowing him down as she started to bounce instead of run.

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" as he focused on trying to get off the path and onto more even ground, he didn't notice two symbols fuse together and suddenly a fire storm surrounded him. "HOT!" he screamed as the flames burned his skin.

"Let me cool you down!" Kevin shouted, showering the Nighlok with water to put out the flames. The Nighlok breathed a sigh of relief as he let the rain fall on his skin. As he basked in the cool water, he failed to see two vines shoot out. They grabbed him around the wrists, the ankles, and the waist and started to pull him forward until he suddenly smashed into something invisible. At that very moment, powerful symbols lit up in the air, revealing a barrier that had been put in place by the red Ranger. It was the same barrier that was around the Shiba House to keep the Nighlok out. Its job was to repel the Nighlok by blasting them away, but because Mike's vines were holding the Nighlok, he couldn't be blasted back. The shield worked over time, smashing the Nighlok over and over with waves of energy until he suddenly exploded.

"You can't predict what you don't see coming," Antonio smiled as he watched the scene. "Atta boy, Scruffy."

The Nighlok wasn't done with yet. It grew to its second life so the Rangers summoned their Zords and all of the regrouped in the cockpit of the Megazord except for Serena. As the Rangers fought this battle, she started for home, positive the Rangers would figure out how to stop the Nighlok for good and they would meet her there.

When Serena got to the house, she sat on the porch and pulled off her mask. She no longer needed to hide her identity and she was getting pretty hot.

"Serena?" Ji called her name as he stepped outside and handed her some papers, "These came while you were away," he gave her the papers with a smile. "Did the Rangers win?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "Scruffy's plan worked."

Ji gave her a pat on the shoulder before he headed back inside to get the first aid kit ready. Unfortunately, even a win could not guarantee the Rangers wouldn't come back with a few bumps and scratches.

Serena looked down at the envelope in her hand and gulped when she saw the return address. She opened it up with shaky hands and pulled out the updated version of Terran's birth certificate. Both her name and James' name was printed and Terran's name had been changed to Terran Michael Smith.

Tears dripped down her cheeks and onto the birth certificate. She set it, and the papers that came with it, and the envelope down beside her on the porch and looked to her engagement ring. With a heavy heart, she pulled it off. She didn't need it anymore.

With the ring in one hand and the papers in another, Serena headed inside. She set everything down on the table in the hallway and walked to her bedroom. James hadn't taken much when he left, but he had taken almost everything that belonged to him.

She walked over to the side of the crib, where Terran was lying down for his nap. She pulled out her Samuraizer with a sigh. Now she really couldn't stop the tears.

"James… you forgot something," she said when he picked up.

-Samurai-

"You're back," Mike smiled as James walked into the house. The Rangers had just gotten back from their battle and being looked after by Ji. Though they hadn't taken many hits, there were still injuries from their first encounter with the Nighlok that hadn't been seen to due to their kidnapping.

"Yeah," James nodded his head but kept walking to his and Serena's old bedroom, "Won't be here for long."

"Why?" Emily asked but James was already too far to hear her. He knocked on the bedroom door and walked right in. Everything was set up for him to go home except what he had come for.

"Serena…"

"It's only temporary," she told him, "Once we defeat the Nighlok we'll figure something out."

James nodded his head. He picked up the car seat and the blanket, "At least I know there's someone you give a damn about."

"Dammit, James," Serena growled, "I know it's hard to understand, but…"

"It's simple, Serena. It's all lie. I get the Nighlok need to be fooled, but the Rangers?"

"It's not my secret."

"Just give me my son," James held out his hands.

Serena's chin quivered. She couldn't bring herself to hand Terran over but she knew it was for the best. James had already made the decision to leave the Samurai, separating himself from all the chaos and the dangers and was fortunately willing to take his son with him. A normal life would be the best thing to keep Terran safe, and at the same time, James knew enough about the Samurai to defend him in case something did happen.

"Mommy loves you," Serena whispered to Terran. It was only temporary, but she didn't know how long temporary would last. It could be weeks, months or years before she ever saw him again, and when she did, would he ever understand why she had to let him go?

"I'll take care of him," James scoffed. "You know he's safe with me. I am his father.

"All the paperwork is in the diaper bag," Serena nodded. "I've left some money in there as well. Please use it to buy him a toy or something from me."

"Serena, you need to let go," James said.

Serena kissed her son's forehead and passed him over to James. He strapped the young boy into his car seat, grabbed the diaper bag and the spare bag, loaded with everything Terran would need or want, and he walked out.

Serena fell to her knees as James walked away with her son. She would do everything she could to ensure she would see him again, but for now that did nothing to stop the pain. James walked out, and with him, he took her whole heart.

"Serena?" Emily called. Serena looked up. Her sister and the Ape Zord were standing in her doorway. The Ape jumped down from Emily's shoulder and made its way over to Serena. Emily looked down the hall, where she had seen James go with Terran and a lot of his stuff, "Where are they going?"

In the common room, the other Rangers were resting after the long battle. Suddenly, Emily raced down the hallway, following James' footsteps. She pulled the front doors open, threatening to tear them off their hinges.

"Emily?" the Samurai called as they got up and went after her.

James just finished setting Terran up in the car when Emily rushed outside. He heard her running over and closed the car door and locked it.

"Emily…" he was met with a fist in the face and knocked off his feet, into his car.

"You can't take him!" Emily screamed, about to hit him again when Mike and Mia grabbed her. James cradled his jaw as he got back up. While the Samurai tried to keep Emily from committing murder, he unlocked the car and got into the driver's seat. He started the engine and drove off. Even with the sound of the car and the radio he could hear Emily's screams but he had to keep going. As he pulled away, he looked in the rear view mirror and saw Serena standing on the porch. She was watching him leave.

In the yard, the Samurai were stunned to see James leaving with Terran as they wondered where he was going and why he was taking Terran with him. Terran usually never left the house.

Antonio was the first to put the pieces together when he saw Serena watching James leave from the patio. He saw the tears in her eyes and he let go of Emily. He raced over to Serena.

"Oh, god, no," he said as he pulled her into a tight, warm hug.

"It's safest," Serena whispered before she broke into loud sobs.

**The End**

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_Author's Note: Don't worry, there's still more to come in short stories and oneshots, but Way of the Samurai will continue once the new episodes come back in the fall._


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